DEFENCE

Armed Forces Compensation Scheme

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what representations he has received within the last 12 months about changes to the criteria in the armed forces compensation scheme for service personnel claiming disability compensation; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  whether it is his intention to change the criteria of the armed forces compensation scheme for service personnel claiming disability compensation from the basis of reasonable doubt to the balance of probability; and if he will make a statement.

Lewis Moonie: The Ministry of Defence currently provides compensation for death and disablement caused or aggravated by service under two schemes, the War Pension Scheme (WPS) and the Armed Forces Pension Scheme (AFPS). Each scheme operates under separate legislation and the standard of proof applied to claims under the two schemes is different.
	The War Pension Scheme was introduced in 1917 and its generous standard of proof reflects in particular the limits of medical understanding of the time. Claims may be made at any time after service release. Specifically, where a claim is made to a War Pension within seven years of termination of service, the onus is wholly on the Secretary of State to prove beyond reasonable doubt that the disablement was not due to service. Where a claim is made more than seven years after termination, the onus rests on the claimant to raise reasonable doubt by reliable evidence that the disablement is due to service, the claimant receiving the benefit of any reasonable doubt. The attributable benefits elements of the Armed Forces Pension Scheme introduced attributable pensions in 1973. This applies to disablements leading to medical discharge; it considers claims against the balance of probabilities standard of proof, in line with most other such schemes and the practice of civil courts. It places the onus of proof on the individual.
	It has not been considered appropriate so far to change these arrangements but the issue has been considered within the current review of armed forces compensation arrangements. In March 2001, we published proposals for a new armed forces compensation scheme based entirely on the balance of probabilities standard of proof A number of respondents have expressed their concern that this would not be appropriate to the special status of the armed forces and the demands placed on them. This view has been particularly strongly represented by ex-service organisations. We have been in close consultation with these and other interested groups and will continue to work with the ex-service community in finalising the details of the new scheme. We expect to make a final decision on the broad design of a new scheme shortly.

Correspondence

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he intends to reply to the letter dated 28 January from the hon. Member for Banff and Buchan regarding his constituent Ms H. Forsyth of Banff.

Lewis Moonie: I wrote to the hon. Member on 13 February 2003, within our 15 working day target for answering ministerial correspondence.

Gulf (US Contracts)

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the value is of contracts with the United States for (a) rations, (b) clothing, (c) footwear and (d) logistical services for UK forces in the Gulf.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 18 March 2003
	The United Kingdom has a long-standing bilateral arrangement with the United States that enables our personnel to receive logistical services and food from US and local sources. This arrangement provides a framework of enabling contracts, some elements of which are calculated on anticipated daily consumption rates and others on term hire rates. These arrangements apply mainly to base camps and are likely to remain in place for the duration of operations in Iraq. We also contract for support services independently where this is more appropriate. In addition, a number of items of clothing and footwear have been acquired from the US at a cost of around £250,000.

Iraq

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the funding allocated to his Ministry for humanitarian relief in Iraq.

Adam Ingram: The ambit of Defence Votes does not ordinarily include funding for humanitarian aid, which is a Department for International Development responsibility. However, £30 million has been made available, so far, for the conflict in Iraq, to cover the United Kingdom's legal requirements under the 1949 Geneva Convention for the Protection of Civilians in Time of War.

Iraq

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish the protocol for media access to (a) information and (b) field operations during the conflict in Iraq.

Lewis Moonie: Arrangements between the media and the Ministry of Defence during the conflict in Iraq are conducted in accordance with the details laid out in the Green Book—"Working Arrangements with the Media in times of Emergency, Tension, Conflict or War". This covers the practical arrangements for enabling media representatives to report events both at home and abroad and includes our plans for representative numbers of correspondents to accompany British Forces in the frontline. It also outlines the policy that would facilitate or restrict the activities of journalists during operations. A copy of the Green Book is available on the MOD website, at: www.mod.uk/news/green book/index, htm

Iraq

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on arrangements he has made with the media to ensure that there is no release of information on casualties prior to the next of kin being informed.

Lewis Moonie: Arrangements between the media and the Ministry of Defence during the conflict in Iraq are conducted in accordance with the details laid out in the Green Book—"Working Arrangements with the Media in times of Emergency, Tension, Conflict or War". The document has been made available to the media and has been placed on the MOD website at:
	www.mod.uk/news/green book/index.htm
	The MOD recognises that casualty information is of legitimate interest to the media and the general public. However, the Green Book explains that our casualty notification process has been developed to minimise the distress of the families concerned, and states that the names of casualties will not be released or confirmed until the next of kin have been told officially. We recognise that on occasions the media may become aware of the names of individual casualties before official announcements are made. Editors are urged not to publish such information, gained from whatever source—even if it comes directly from a next of kin—until it is released or confirmed by the MOD. Editors are also urged to exercise extreme discretion in approaching next of kin.

Iraq

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish the advice he has given to the (a) print and (b) broadcast media to permit them to have access to the conflict in Iraq whilst maintaining personal safety.

Lewis Moonie: In relation to war correspondents embedded with United Kingdom forces in the Gulf, the arrangements for the print and broadcast media are conducted in accordance with the guidance set out in the Green Book, which is entitled "Working Arrangements with the Media in times of Emergency, Tension, Conflict or War". A copy of this is available on the Ministry of Defence web-site (www.MOD.UK).
	The Green Book sets out the arrangements for the selection of, and regulations for, accredited war correspondents. In return for protection and support, and access to other facilities, correspondents agree to undergo the necessary training and to abide by the operational security and safety measures required by the unit to which they are attached.
	The Ministry of Defence has no responsibility for the activities of independent media personnel. The current FCO travel advice is not to travel to Iraq. This advice has been strongly emphasised to the media by the Ministry of Defence.

Iraq

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) print and (b) broadcast journalists are accredited to coalition forces in Iraq; and how many are accredited to British forces.

Lewis Moonie: There are 128 print and broadcast journalists accredited to British forces in the Gulf. The Ministry of Defence does not hold the number of journalists that are currently in Iraq or the number of journalists accredited to coalition forces.

Iraq

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what monitoring his Department undertakes of reports from (a) print and (b) broadcast journalists operating in Iraq.

Lewis Moonie: The Ministry of Defence does not exclusively monitor reports from print and broadcast journalists operating in Iraq. However, we do receive a daily press cutting service highlighting stories in the printed media with a defence interest and, during the present crisis, we have appointed a watchkeeper in our Press Office to monitor the broadcast output from the main channels. The Media Monitoring Unit of the Cabinet Office also provides the Department with a daily Iraq briefing.
	Separately, we have let a contract to provide a weekly evaluation of the printed media's coverage of the Iraq crisis.

Munitions

Bill Tynan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent research his Department has (a) conducted and (b) funded into new types of munitions to be used by United Kingdom forces to replace (i) cluster weapons and (ii) weapons containing depleted uranium.

Adam Ingram: Weapons in service with the United Kingdom armed forces that dispense sub-munitions systems remain both effective and legal. We continue nevertheless to conduct and fund research programmes investigating the means to provide precise and discriminating methods of attacking targets, including terminal guided sub-munition technologies.
	We have no current plans to replace the in-service CHARM 3 depleted uranium round used in the Challenger 2 Main Battle Tank. Recent research on tank munitions has covered the penetration of armour process and support to commissioning new tank barrels for Challenger 2 tanks. Details of the Ministry of Defence's programme are available in the Library of the House.

Theatre Missile Defence

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what consultations he has had with allies on the provision of theatre missile defence capabilities for UK troops when on joint operations;
	(2)  if he will make a statement on the UK's theatre missile defence capabilities; and what plans he has to increase theatre missile defence capabilities;
	(3)  what provisions he has made for theatre missile defence for troops on deployment if no capabilities have been provided by the UK's allies.

Adam Ingram: The United Kingdom is continuing its work on the risks posed by ballistic missiles and on the technologies available to counter them. We remain in regular contact with allies about such matters and continue to co-operate with NATO in their feasibility studies on how best to defend deployed NATO forces through active theatre missile defence. Decisions about the need to increase theatre missile defence capabilities will be taken in light of the outcome of these studies.
	Defence against ballistic missiles has several components. Arms control, preventing supply and deterring use all have a part to play alongside defence against use. Military planning therefore includes consideration of how actively to prevent the use of ballistic missiles through threat reduction operations. Passive defensive steps are also considered, including the dispersal of forces and the provision of equipment to protect against the use of nuclear, biological or chemical weapons.
	United Kingdom armed forces operate with an appropriate range of capabilities and take into account what may be provided by coalition partners.

Ulster Defence Regiment

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will set up a widows fund for families of soldiers killed in the Ulster Defence Regiment similar to that already in operation for widows of murdered police officers in Northern Ireland.

Lewis Moonie: The Ministry of Defence has received several representations on this matter and I accordingly met with representatives from the Ulster Defence Regiment widows and widowers on 5 March 2003. The issue is currently receiving careful consideration and further advice has been sought, but the Ministry of Defence is not yet in a position to make a decision on the way ahead.

PRIME MINISTER

Gibraltar

Michael Ancram: To ask the Prime Minister what discussions he has had with the Spanish Government since 1 January on sovereignty over Gibraltar; and if he will make a statement.

Tony Blair: I talk to the Spanish Prime Minister frequently on a range of EU and other foreign policy issues. Since 1 January, there has been no discussion of the issue of sovereignty.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Combined Heat and Power

Crispin Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how she intends to meet her commitment to support field trials designed to evaluate the benefits of Micro-CHP given on page 48 of the Energy White Paper (Cm 5761) beyond the commitment within the Government's fuel poverty strategy.

Elliot Morley: I understand that The Carbon Trust will be working with the Energy Saving Trust and other stakeholders, including Defra, to undertake a major field trial for micro-CHP in order to evaluate the potential benefits this innovative technology has to offer. The trial will aim to feature a range of technologies and end use applications.

Agricultural Shows

David Curry: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  whether the new interim rules for animal movements will continue the exemptions for cattle and sheep moving between shows within six days; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  what plans she has to permit farmers to exhibit livestock at country agricultural shows when these shows occur in the same area within a few days of each other and may offer multi-show championships.

Elliot Morley: We announced in a written statement on 23 January that the standstill would be reduced to 6 days for cattle, sheep and goats with effect from 4 March, but with far fewer exemptions.
	The removal of most of the exemptions is a counter-balance to the increased risk created by the reduction in the standstill period. The much shorter standstill should make it possible for show organisers to arrange events so that breeders and others wishing to exhibit at shows can plan their movements to comply with the rules.

Animal Welfare (Snares)

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent research she has commissioned into the percentage of animals caught in snares which were non-target species.

Elliot Morley: This Department has not undertaken any recent research into the percentage non-target species caught in snares. However, we are considering ways in which to improve the correct use and effectiveness of snares.

Avian Influenza

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much the Government spent on preventing Avian Influenza being brought to the UK in each of the last five years.

Elliot Morley: To prevent the introduction of Avian Influenza (AI) into the UK, the Government picks up the entire bill for the veterinary inspection and laboratory testing of imports of live poultry and their hatching eggs from Third Countries. This includes four veterinary officer visits and three animal health officer visits to quarantine premises in respect of each consignment. These costs are as follows.
	
		
			  £ 
		
		
			 1998 16,800 
			 1999 50,649 
			 2000 52,672 
			 2001 59,646 
			 2002 87,330 
		
	
	In addition, the Government also provided consultancy and support to the Whole Animal Import Programme. This support included carrying out tests for various diseases on various animal species and included work on AI. It is not possible to provide a breakdown only in respect of AI.
	Imports of live poultry and hatching eggs from EU member states are accompanied by an EU harmonised health certificate which includes assurances that live poultry is free from AI.

Benzone

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the assessed volume of illegal use of benzone within the fishing industry; and what cooperation she has undertaken with the Secretary of State for Health in this matter.

Elliot Morley: Neither I nor the Food Standards Agency have knowledge of illegal use of benzone in the fishing industry. If the hon. Member has such information, I would be interested to know.

Broiler Chickens

Bill Etherington: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many broiler chickens were dead on arrival at UK poultry slaughterhouses in 2002.

Elliot Morley: 1,076,396 broiler chickens were dead on arrival at UK licensed poultry slaughterhouses in 2002. However, the total annual UK broiler throughput at these slaughterhouses is not available.
	In Northern Ireland, 88,165 broilers were dead on arrival at licensed poultry slaughterhouses. The total throughput of broilers at these slaughterhouses was 66,938,166.
	In Great Britain, 988,231 broilers were dead on arrival at licensed poultry slaughterhouses. The total throughput of all broilers, all cast hens and other poultry weighing less than 2kgs was 736,966,659.

Climate Change Agreements

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to her answer of 6 February 2003, Official Report, column 373W, on climate change agreements, if she will place in the Library a summary of the information given to her Department by each sector with a climate change agreement.

Margaret Beckett: holding answer 18 March 2003
	The Department is analysing the information supplied by sector associations with the aim of re-certifying eligible facilities by 31 March. I will place summaries of the performance of each sector in the Library of the House at that time.

Departmental Energy Policy

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to increase expenditure in support of energy efficiency in (a) 2003 and (b) 2004; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: No final decisions have yet been made on the level of expenditure in support of energy efficiency in 2003 and 2004.

Dolphins

Jenny Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had with her European colleagues concerning conservation of the dolphin population around UK shores; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: I have raised the issue of small cetacean bycatch and its impact on dolphin populations several times with Commissioner Fischler, both in person and in writing. Most recently, I wrote to him on 4 February, reinforcing the intervention made by the UK at the January meeting of the Agriculture and Fisheries Council and pressing in particular for wider observer coverage off the South West coast where a number of other member states' vessels pursue the pelagic fishery. I have also written to the French Minister and spoken individually to ministerial colleagues from Spain, Germany and Denmark.
	The outcome has been, progressively, the inclusion of action on cetacean bycatch firstly in the Commission's roadmap on CFP reform and secondly in the action plan on environmental matters under the CFP, and publication of the Commission's discussion paper on the reduction of cetacean bycatch in December 2002. I shall continue to fund our scientific work and to press for action, with a view to securing concrete proposals from the Commission and their adoption by the Council.

E-mail Addresses

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs by what e-mail address members of the public may contact (a) her and (b) each of the Ministers in her Department; and for each e-mail address if she will state (i) the date it became active, and (ii) the number of e-mails received in each month since activation.

Margaret Beckett: Members of the public can contact my office and those of my Department's other Ministers at the following e-mail addresses:
	Secretaryofstate@defra.gsi.gov.uk
	mos.environment@defra.gsi.gov.uk
	mos.ruralaffairs@defra.gsi.gov.uk
	pus.commons@defra.gsi.gov.uk
	pus.lords@defra.gsi.gov.uk
	correspondence.section@defra.gsi.gov.uk
	helpline@defra.gsi.gov.uk
	The detailed information requested is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Emergency Discharges (Avon Catchment)

Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which members of the Strategic Water Partnership are considering emergency discharges into the Hampshire Avon Catchment; and if he will make a statement on the progress of their work.

Elliot Morley: I understand that Wessex Water plans to establish a series of Strategic Water Partnerships involving Wessex Water, District Councils, County Councils, Highways Authority, and Environment Agency. These partnerships will provide a framework for managing issues where there are shared responsibilities including planning, development, flooding, pollution, and bathing beaches.
	The Environment Agency has welcomed Strategic Water Partnerships as a means of promoting action on matters of shared responsibility including flooding and sewer flooding. To date, however, no such partnerships have been established in the Hampshire Avon Catchment.

Warm Front Programme

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent changes have been made to leasing arrangements in the provision of central heating systems through the Warm Front programme; and what provision is made for service and maintenance work to these installations.

Elliot Morley: New central heating systems installed under Warm Front until November 2002 were provided via a seven year lease arrangement. A decision was taken to move away from using the leasing arrangements from December 2002 and new systems are now purchased outright.
	The responsibility for maintenance and service of central heating systems bought under a lease agreement lies with the scheme managers for Warm Front, TXU Warm Front Ltd. and Eaga Partnership. The responsibility for the systems that are bought outright lies with the scheme managers for the first year.

Warm Front Programme

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what further measures are planned to raise public awareness of the Warm Front Programme;
	(2)  what measures have been introduced to ensure the Warm Front Programme helps the people most vulnerable to cold-related ill heath;
	(3)  what other measures are being taken besides the Warm Front Programme to tackle fuel poverty.

Elliot Morley: The Government's main programme for tackling fuel poverty in the private sector in England is the Home Energy Efficiency Scheme (HEES), now marketed as The Warm Front Team. Warm Front provides energy advice, insulation and heating measures depending upon the needs of the householder and the property type, to some of the most vulnerable members of society.
	The two scheme managers, TXU Warm Front Ltd and Eaga Partnership, carry out extensive marketing to promote the scheme. As well as the more traditional forms of advertising they work with organisations including local authorities, health visitors and local charities. The scheme managers work to co-ordinate these efforts to ensure maximum awareness of the scheme.
	A number of other Government policies will help tackle fuel poverty. The First Annual Progress Report on the UK Fuel Poverty Strategy, published on 4 March, provides an update on those policies. A copy is available in the Library.

Fallen Stock

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what risk assessment has been undertaken on the disposal of fallen stock after the Animal By-products Regulation comes into effect;
	(2)  what plans she has to meet all parties involved in the disposal of fallen stock before the ban on farm burial comes into force;
	(3)  what estimate she has made of the level of fallen stock which will need to be collected annually after the introduction of the Animal By-products Regulation.

Elliot Morley: No formal risk assessment has been undertaken on the disposal of fallen stock after the Animal By-products Regulation comes into effect.
	However, animal by-products legislation already controls the collection, storage and transportation of animal by-products, including fallen stock, it also requires records to be kept of any consignment of animal by-products to assist in the auditing and traceability of this material.
	The Department regulates outlets which deal with fallen stock, such as knackers yards, hunt kennels, rendering and incineration plants. Officials are, therefore, involved in regular discussions with those industries and other interested parties. Since April 2002, we have been involved in discussions with livestock and disposal industry stakeholders over future arrangements and funding options for disposal of fallen stock.
	Although progress has been made on operation of a National Scheme we have not been able to reach an agreement on funding. Nevertheless, we are continuing our dialogue with the industry and plan to write shortly to individual farmers about the new rules.
	The industry estimate that the following will need to be collected annually:
	1,316,000 adult animal carcasses (bovine, ovine, swine and equine)
	2,262,000 immature animal carcasses (bovine, ovine, swine and equine)
	36,000,000 poultry carcasses (avians)
	In arriving at this figure, assumptions have been made about mortality rates for adult and immature animals and their average weight.

Fisheries

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many industrial fish farms are in operation in the United Kingdom; what types of fish are farmed at these locations; and how much of each respective fish species was farmed in each of the past five years.

Elliot Morley: There are some 1,067 finfish and 428 shellfish (including crayfish) active farm sites in the United Kingdom. (A commercial fish farm business may own more than one site.)
	Production figures for the five year period up to 2001 (the latest year for which complete data are available) are as follows:
	
		Finfish species(1) (primarily for human consumption)
		
			  Atlantic salmon(2) Rainbow trout(2) Brown trout(2) Halibut Cod Arctic char 
		
		
			 1997 99,197 16,268 478 No data No data No data 
			 1998 110,784 16,656 450 No data No data No data 
			 1999 126,686 17,288 403 4 0 3 
			 2000 128,959 15,353 551 5 16 7 
			 2001 138,519 16,403 621 80 15 4 
		
	
	(1) Figures in tonnes to nearest whole number
	(2) Figures include some production for restocking
	
		Shellfish species (primarily for human consumption0
		
			  Pacific oyster (000s) Native oyster (000s) Scallops (000s) Queens(000s) Mussels (tonnes) Cockles (tonnes) Clams(tonnes) 
		
		
			 1997 4,424 154 870 4,257 13,000 20 36 
			 1998 4,252 391 392 3,676 11,000 53 22 
			 1999 4,136 314 214 2,855 10,000 52 19 
			 2000 4,742 169 313 2,084 14,000 150 25 
			 2001 4,911 250 733 1,882 17,000 105 34 
		
	
	
		Course fish species (England and Wales only)Ornamental species for trade (mainly Koi, Ghost Koi, Orfe, Goldfish, other carp species, and Bream, Gudgeon, Roach, Rudd, Tench and Perch) -- (000s of fish)
		
			 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 
		
		
			 3,519 1,533 1,669 5,142 7,348 
		
	
	There is also significant production of coarse species for restocking fisheries. The main fish produced for the angling trade are Common and Mirror Carp which, between them, account for some 75 per cent. of total coarse fish production.

Flood Defence

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what guidelines her Department has issued to the Association of British Insurers with regard to indicative minimum standards of flood defence; when it was issued; if she will make a statement on the relationship of these guidelines with the Department's Priority Score Scheme for flood defence; and if she will place a copy of the guidelines in the Library.

Elliot Morley: No specific guidelines on indicative minimum standards of flood defence have been issued to the Association of British Insurers. The published guidelines are however, freely available on the Defra website under the Project Appraisal Guidance Series (FCDPAG3, Section 6). There is no direct relationship between these guidelines and the Priority Score Scheme. However, the indicative standards feature in the economic analysis of proposals which is a major element of the Priority Score System.

Imported Meat

Clive Efford: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make it her policy to impose penalties on airlines and ferry companies whose passengers are found to have brought illegal meat imports and animal products into the United Kingdom.

Elliot Morley: We are working closely with the airlines to get our message across to passengers arriving in the UK from non-EU countries through announcements, in-flight videos and printed information. We have no immediate plans to impose penalties on airlines and ferry companies whose passengers are found to have brought illegal meat imports and animal products into the UK.

Imported Meat

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures she will take to ensure that all imported meat complies with United Kingdom animal welfare standards before being slaughtered.

Elliot Morley: WTO rules currently only permit the prohibition of goods on grounds of threat to human, animal or plant health. Restrictions based on the method of production are not permitted and could put us in breach of WTO rules. The ED is committed to animal welfare and negotiated to have non-trade concerns included in the Doha mandate, thereby ensuring that the issue of farm animal welfare is taken into account as part of the current Agreement on Agriculture negotiations. We will also support the Commission on developments following their recently published report on animal welfare standards in third countries.

Milk Tokens

David Burnside: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the likely impact on national milk production of the proposed removal of the daily 1 pint milk token for low income families with children under five.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 11 March 2003
	The milk tokens represent some 130 million litres of milk per year, or 1 per cent. of the total production of milk in Great Britain. It is difficult to assess to what extent milk consumption might fall as a result of the proposals, as milk would still be available under the fixed value voucher system proposed by the Department of Health, albeit along with other foods.
	The dairy industry has expressed concern that the removal of the milk token system would have an adverse effect on milk rounds, given that milk delivered under the Welfare Food Scheme represents about 5 per cent. of all doorstep deliveries. The Department of Health has conducted a major consultation exercise on its proposals, the results of which have now been published.
	The reforms were proposed following medical advice that mothers and children required access to a broader range of foods than had been available under the scheme.

Total Allowable Catches

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on proposed changes to total allowable catches within the 200 mile limit to incorporate vessels from EU accession countries.

Elliot Morley: The level of total allowable catches will continue to be based on scientific advice from ICES on the state of the fish stocks and on historical track record in accordance with the principle of relative stability.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Advertising in Scotland

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much the Department spent on advertising in Scotland in each year since 1999 on (a) television, (b) newspapers, (c) radio, (d) magazines, (e) billboards and (f) sporting events.

Patricia Hewitt: Information at the level of detail requested is not available, and where it is possible to disaggregate figures for advertising in Scotland, the information could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Civil Contingency Planning

Paul Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on her Department's (a) responsibilities and (b) assets with regard to civil contingency planning; what funds are committed; what action she is taking within her Department to improve such planning; and what action she is taking in collaboration with other Departments.

Patricia Hewitt: The information is as follows:
	(a) I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Minister of State, Cabinet Office, on 21 March 2003, Official Report, columns 957–58W.
	(b) DTI is fully committed to the Government's programme to increase UK resilience to disruptive events.
	It is active in a number of areas with colleagues from other Government Departments and Agencies and works closely with key sectors of the economy to increase resilience and robustness in contingency planning.
	Measures include a new crisis management suite, greater integration of contingency and continuity plans, and the strengthening of dedicated teams across the Department. The Department is contributing to central Government initiatives and has forged close links with the wider contingency planning community and stakeholders.
	Departmental resources are committed to this task in line with Departmental business planning and to reflect emerging priorities.

Civil Service Travel

John Maples: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what grades in the Civil Service in her Department are allowed to travel by air (a) first class and (b) business class at public expense when on official duties.

Patricia Hewitt: Our approach to travel costs is to ensure that staff use the most efficient and economic means of travel, commensurate with operational needs. The key criteria in booking flights is value for money although there are guidelines on staff entitlement. Generally, for DTI staff, entitlement to class of air travel when on official duties is governed by the duration of flight, the fare structure on the route and by pay band (grade). The following table sets out the entitlements for air travel:
	
		
			  SCS Staff   Staff in bands A-C 
			Flight duration   Flight duration 
		
		
			 Airline Fare Class Up to 2½ hrs Over 2½ hrs Up to 2½ hrs Over 2½ hrs 
			 First/Economy Economy First Economy Economy 
			 Business/Economy or Equivalent Business Business Economy Business

Correspondence

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when she intends to reply to the letter dated 16 October 2002 from the hon. Member for Banff and Buchan regarding car imports.

Patricia Hewitt: As the hon. Member is aware his original letter was not received by my Department. A copy was faxed to my office on 24 March 2003 and will be dealt with as soon as possible.

Departmental Invoices

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list the occasions on which her Department, agencies and non-departmental public bodies failed to pay valid invoices within 30 days or after the agreed credit period within financial year 2001–02.

Patricia Hewitt: Information on the occasions where my Department, agencies and non-departmental public bodies failed to pay valid invoices within 30 days or after the agreed credit period can only be obtained at disproportionate cost. However I am able to say that the percentage of bills which were paid by my Department within 30 days of receipt of a valid invoice was 98 per cent. for the financial year 2001–02. The average percentage of bills paid by my Department's agencies was 99 per cent. over the same period. The average percentage of bills paid by my Department's executive non- departmental public bodies was 89 per cent. over the same period.

Discrimination Legislation

Edward O'Hara: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans the Government has to deliver advice to citizens at a local level about the forthcoming age discrimination legislation.

Patricia Hewitt: holding answer 24 March 2003
	Age legislation will be in force by December 2006, once extensive consultations planned for 2003 and 2004 have been completed. At this stage the strategy for delivering advice and guidance has not yet been formulated.

East of England Development Agency

Mark Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many employees work in the East of England Development Agency; and what the employment costs including national insurance were in the last year for which figures are available.

Alan Johnson: Information on the income and expenditure of each of the Regional Development Agencies, including the average numbers of staff employed during the relevant year and details of salaries and wages, are set out in an annual report. Copies are placed in the Libraries of House and are available on the internet.
	According to the most recent annual report and accounts of the East of England Development Agency, which is available on the internet at http://www.eeda.org.uk, the average number of staff employed by the Agency during the year ending 31 March 2002 (including all agency and seconded staff) was 103.
	For the same period the cost of staff salaries and wages was £3,992.000.

East of England Development Agency

Mark Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the administrative cost for the East of England Development Agency was in the year ending (a) April 2001, (b) April 2002 and (c) April 2003.

Alan Johnson: Information on the income and expenditure of each of the Regional Development Agencies, including administrative costs, are set out in annual report. Copies are placed in the Library and are available on the internet.
	According to the most recent annual account, which is available at http://www.eeda.org.uk, salaries and wages and other administrative costs of the East of England Development Agency were £5.5 million in the year ending 31 March 2001 and £7.0 million in the year ending 31 March 2002. I understand that the total is forecast to be £7.6 million in the year ending 31 March 2003.

East of England Development Agency

Mark Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many board members of the East of England Development Agency previously worked for (a) Peterborough City Council and (b) local authorities in Hertfordshire.

Alan Johnson: Of the current board of the East of England Development Agency (EEDA) one board member, Dr Roger Ali, previously worked for Peterborough City Council. I understand that, in 1999–2000, Mr Ali was employed by the Council for one day per week in the Community Development Section to help establish a new African and Caribbean Community Centre/New Millennium Centre.
	No other members of the current board of EEDA have previously worked for any Hertfordshire local authority.

Electricity

Richard Ottaway: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how she intends to attract long term investment for the construction of new electricity generating equipment.

Brian Wilson: The Energy White Paper has set a long term framework for energy markets including electricity generation, with energy markets a cornerstone of energy policy. Such a framework is necessary to give companies the confidence to invest.
	Given current levels of capacity, including mothballed plant, and our expectations of growing renewables generation and energy efficiency improvements over the coming years, we are unlikely to need significant new investment in non-renewable power stations over the next five years or possibly longer. The UK market provides strong financial incentives for suppliers to contract for sufficient power. Incentives for investment in renewables will come mainly through the Renewables Obligation.
	At the same time, DTI and OFGEM will continue and expand our monitoring of energy security and we will look to OFGEM vigorously to apply and enforce licence conditions on industry participants relating to security.

Employers' Liability Insurance

Marion Roe: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to her answer of 13 March 2002, Official Report, column 362W, on employers' liability insurance, if she will make a statement on the income of workplace contacts; what estimate she makes of the number of construction and allied trade companies there are in the UK; and how many health and safety inspectors there are; and what priorities she has set for these duties.

Brian Wilson: The Department does not have specific remit for health and safety matters. The Health and Safety Executive comes under the responsibility of the Department for Work and Pensions. HSE advises that it employs staff at pay band 5 to act as Workplace Contact Officers, their average salary cost is £19,883 (outside of London).
	The latest Construction Statistics Annual shows that, as of September 2002, there were approximately 166,000 construction and allied trade companies in the UK.
	HSE has increased the number of inspectors working in the construction industry from 118 to 150 over the last year as a result of its redirection of resources to HSE's Priority Programmes and the setting up of a new national HSE Construction Division. HSE's Construction Division has published an intervention strategy which identifies its key priorities for the medium term. This is available at www.hse.gov.uk/press/2002/construct.htm. It aims to:
	encourage greater commitment to achieving improved health and safety performance targets from all those in the construction procurement and supply chain;
	encourage better communication and co-operation between all those involved in delivering a safe and healthy work environment; and
	promote the development of a competent workforce at all levels.
	Their priorities for the year are:
	Reducing the incidence of cement dermatitis
	Reversing the increased incidence of hand arm vibration syndrome
	Reducing exposure to noise
	Reducing worker exposure to the risk of musculo-skeletal injury
	Workplace transport
	Work at height
	Slips, trips and falls
	In addition HSE investigates complaints and accidents, which meet published selection criteria.

Employment Tribunal Service

Terry Rooney: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will require the Employment Tribunal Service to include size of company by work force in the statistics on applications to employment tribunals.

Alan Johnson: holding answer 25 March 2003
	The Employment Tribunals Service (ETS) does not currently receive details of company size from respondents submitting their notice of appearance to an employment tribunal.
	A requirement to provide such information is currently being considered as part of plans to revise the present notice of appearance form and will be included in a public consultation exercise in due course.

Employment Tribunal Service

Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will ask the Employment Tribunal Service to add data on the size of companies to statistics they collect on applications to employment tribunals.

Alan Johnson: holding answer 26 March 2003
	The Employment Tribunals Service (ETS) does not currently receive details of company size from respondents submitting their notice of appearance to an Employment Tribunal.
	A requirement to provide such information is currently being considered as part of plans to revise the present notice of appearance form and will be included in a public consultation exercise in due course.

LPG

Linda Perham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations she has received on the future growth of the market for automotive liquid petroleum gas.

Alan Johnson: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given on 26 February 2003, Official Report, column 560W.

Lucky Goldstar

Crispin Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list the (a) dates and (b) amounts of payments of regional selective assistance to Lucky Goldstar since 1 May 1997.

Alan Johnson: No payments of regional selective assistance have been made to Lucky Goldstar by the Department of Trade and Industry since 1 May 1997. However, I understand that in Wales Regional Selective Assistance (RSA) has been paid to LG Electronics in relation to the company's investment at Newport. Responsibility for the RSA scheme in Wales now rests with the Welsh Assembly Government

Ministerial Travel

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list internal flights made by Ministers in her Department in 2002, including in each case the (a) cost, (b) departure location and (c) destination; and of these how many were (i) first class, (ii) business class and (iii) economy class.

Patricia Hewitt: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Minister of State, Cabinet Office, on 22 January 2003, Official Report, column 334W.

Nuclear Power Stations (Terrorist Attacks)

Jenny Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps her Department has taken to protect nuclear power stations from terrorist attack; and if she will make a statement.

Brian Wilson: The UK's civil nuclear sites apply stringent security measures regulated by the Office for Civil Nuclear Security (OCNS), the security regulator. The security regulator works closely with the Health and Safety Executive, the safety regulator, which provides advice on the safety implications of events, including external hazards such as plane crashes, at nuclear installations. Security at nuclear sites is kept under regular review in the light of the prevailing threat and has been significantly enhanced since the terrorist attacks in the USA on 11 September 2001. It is not Government policy to disclose details of these measures, which could potentially be of use to terrorist under Exemption 1—Defence, Security and International Relation, of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

Postal Services

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the Government's response to recommendation 18 of the Performance and Innovation Unit's report-Counter Revolution.

Stephen Timms: The Government contributed £25 million to the Your Guide pilot to test the concept of the Government general practitioner role for post offices in line with the Performance and Innovation Unit's recommendations 18 and 19. The evaluation of the pilot showed that a publicly funded national Your Guide scheme would not represent value for money. The pilot highlighted areas in which Government services might be delivered through post offices in the future and these are being further explored, together with alternative commercial options.

Postal Services

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps are being taken to develop sub-post offices as Government general practitioner outlets.

Stephen Timms: The Your Guide pilot showed that it would neither significantly improve Government Departments' ability to meet their delivery of financial objectives nor raise sufficient revenue for post offices. A publicly funded national Your Guide would not therefore represent value for money but the pilot highlighted a number of areas in which Government Departments might deliver services through post offices in the future and we are exploring these, and potential alternative commercial options, further.

Renewables Obligation

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry for what reason electricity from combined heat and power sources fed into the National Grid is subject to the Renewables Obligation.

Brian Wilson: The purpose of the Renewables Obligation is to secure a target level of our electricity supply from renewable energy. The obligation for each electricity supplier is calculated by applying a percentage to that electricity supplier's total electricity sales to customers in England and Wales during each Obligation period. The same arrangement applies in Scotland under their corresponding Obligation. Total electricity sales includes electricity from all sources, including both CHP and renewables, so as to avoid market distortions. However, electricity sold under licence exempt arrangements, including CHP, is not subject to the Obligation.

Rogue Traders

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps she is taking to protect consumers from the activities of rogue traders.

Melanie Johnson: In June 2001 the Government introduced Stop Now Orders, giving Trading Standards departments and other named bodies the power to seek injunctions against traders who do not comply with a range of legislation intended to safeguard the interests of consumers.
	Through the Enterprise Act 2002, the Government will enable the OFT, Trading Standards and other designated enforcers to obtain 'Stop Now Orders' against a wider range of illegal activities which harm the interests of consumers. It is our intention to commence these and other key provisions of the Act in the summer.
	In addition, we launched an awareness campaign last year to highlight the risks and warning signs associated with postal scams and explain how consumers can avoid becoming scam victims. Consumers were encouraged to send suspect mailings to the Office of Fair Trading for investigation.

Scotland

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many times she has visited Scotland on official duties each year since 2000; and what meetings were held on each occasion.

Patricia Hewitt: Since my appointment in June 2001, I have visited Scotland on one occasion in 2001 and one occasion in 2002.
	In line with exemptions 2 and 7 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information, it is not normal practice of Governments to release details of specific meetings or their content, as some of these discussions may have taken place on a confidential basis.

Scotland

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans Ministers in the Department have to (a) visit Scotland on official business, (b) announce public appointments and (c) make Ministerial announcements in April.

Patricia Hewitt: Departmental business during the campaign period preceding elections to the Scottish Parliament will be conducted in Accordance with the Guidance on Conduct for Civil Servants in UK Departments in respect of elections to the Scottish Parliament and National Assembly for Wales, published by Cabinet Office on 10 March.

Small Coal Mines

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to her answer of 13 March 2003, Official Report, column 361, on small coal mines, if she will set out the results of her meeting on 19 March 2003; and if she will make a statement.

Patricia Hewitt: At the meeting between the Department, the small mines representatives and the claimants' solicitors on 19 March, the small mines representatives confirmed their agreement in principle to sign up to the Claims Handling Agreement for respiratory disease as soon as detailed terms could be agreed between the parties. This was confirmed by Counsel for the small mines at the court hearing on 20 March. However, before this can be achieved, all parties await sight of the expert's report commissioned by the claimants' solicitors, covering issues such as dust levels, dust suppression and respirator usage in small mines. This report responds to the expert's report produced by the small mines representatives and is expected to be available at the end of April. It will help to inform the final negotiations on the terms under which the small mines will accede to the Claims Handling Agreement.

UK Steel

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the steel tariffs imposed by the US Government; and what discussions she has had with the US Government in relation to removing the tariffs on steel.

Patricia Hewitt: I have taken every opportunity to press our concern about the continued imposition of these unjustified tariffs and to express support for the UK product exclusion requests, including a telephone conversation with Donald Evans, US Commerce Secretary on 26 March.
	On 21 March the US Administration announced the outcome of the second round of product exclusion requests which was launched in September last year. Of the 72 requests submitted by 10 companies, 62 were approved. As in the first exclusion round, the Government actively supported all UK requests liaising closely with UK companies and the US Administration.
	In April, the WTO Dispute Settlement Panel is expected to rule on the challenge to the US steel safeguard action by the EU (together with Brazil, China, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, South Korea and Switzerland). We expect the panel to rule against the US measures. We will urge the US administration to take account of its WTO obligations and the wider trade liberalisation agenda and come into full and prompt compliance with the ruling and immediately withdraw the tariffs.

ADVOCATE-GENERAL

Overseas Trips

John Bercow: To ask the Advocate General if she will list each of the overseas trips made by herself in 2002; and what the (a) purpose and (b) cost of each trip was.

Lynda Clark: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend, the Minister for the Cabinet Office, on 22 January, Official Report, column 334W.

SCOTLAND

Award Schemes

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if she will list the award schemes in (a) 2001 and (b) 2002 promoted by the Department; what their scope was; when the relevant participating organisations are scheduled to be sent results; and whether other parties will be given notification of the results at the same time.

Helen Liddell: No award schemes have been promoted by my Department.

Civil Contingency Planning

Paul Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if she will make a statement on her Department's responsibilities with regard to civil contingency planning; what action she is taking within her Department to improve such planning; and what action she is taking in collaboration with other Departments.

Helen Liddell: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office on 21 March 2003, Official Report, column 957W.

Departmental Expenditure

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what her estimate is of her Department's spending on (a) consultants, (b) advertising and publicity, (c) travel and (d) conferences in each year from 1999–2000 to 2002–03; and if she will make a statement.

Helen Liddell: The Scotland Office was established in its present form on 1 July 1999.
	The information requested is as follows:
	
		£
		
			  1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 (3)2002–03 
		
		
			 Consultants 0 5,465 17,864 10,720 
			 Advertising 0 0 0 10,390 
			 Publicity 21,000 270,494 186,564 0 
			 Travel 225,912 388,194 382,618 370,000 
			 Conferences 0 0 0 3,296 
		
	
	(3) Estimate

E-Mail Addresses

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland by what e-mail address members of the public may contact (a) her and (b) each of the Ministers in her Department; and for each e-mail address if she will state (i) the date it became active and (ii) the number of e-mails received in each month since activation.

Helen Liddell: The information requested is as follows:
	(a) and (b)—scottish.secretary@scotland.gov.uk
	(i) June 1999 1
	(ii) The number of e-mails are shown in the table
	
		
			  2000 2001 2002 2003 
		
		
			 January — 30 50 137 
			 February — 42 56 159 
			 March — 45 66 — 
			 April — 37 55 — 
			 May 19 28 52 — 
			 June 13 39 60 — 
			 July 17 39 77 — 
			 August 19 35 59 — 
			 September 20 39 54 — 
			 October 25 42 48 — 
			 November 18 67 95 — 
			 December 16 53 101 — 
		
	
	(4) Reliable/accurate records have only been kept since May 2000

Gross Domestic Product

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland on how many occasions since Quarter 2 of 1997 the percentage growth of GDP in Scotland has exceeded that of the UK as a whole.

Helen Liddell: On eight occasions since Quarter 2 of 1997 quarterly figures for GDP at constant basic prices have shown quarterly rates of growth for Scotland exceeding those for the UK as a whole.

Minimum Wage

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if she will estimate the impact of increasing the minimum wage (a) in line with average earnings, (b) to £4.17 per hour, (c) to £4.87 per hour, (d) to £5.00 per hour and (e) to £5.30 per hour, on the cost of salaries of departmental employees (i) in total and (ii) for each nation of the United Kingdom in the next financial year.

Helen Liddell: In the current financial year, the lowest salary level in my department is £10,300, which equates to an hourly rate of £4.71. The effect of a minimum wage of £4.17 would therefore be nil.
	If the minimum wage was raised to higher levels there would be an effect on the cost of salaries but, given the very small numbers of staff involved, this would not be significant.

Overseas Trips

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if she will list each of the overseas trips made by herself and other members of her ministerial team in 2002; and what the (a) purpose and (b) cost of each trip was.

Helen Liddell: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend, the Minister for the Cabinet Office, on 22 January 2003, Official Report, column 334W.

TRANSPORT

Aggregates Levy

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what funds his Department has received from the aggregates levy sustainability fund; and on which dates funds were received in each case.

David Jamieson: None. My Department did not consider it could properly allocate funds within the criteria laid down by the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Rail Franchises

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimates he has made of the price of the bond for each rail franchise which would be returned to the Strategic Rail Authority should a franchisee default on its franchise agreement.

David Jamieson: None. The amounts of performance bonds are included in franchise agreements between the Strategic Rail Authority and train operating companies. These agreements are available for inspection on the Authority's public register.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Hospitality

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what hospitality has been offered at public expense in the last 12 months by each Minister in his Department to outside interest groups, broken down by (a) restaurant, (b) recipient and (c) cost in each case.

Paul Murphy: On 23 February, as part of a continuing programme of briefing backbench MPs on NI issues, the Secretary of State provided dinner at the Hilton Hotel for a party of backbench Labour MPs at a total cost of £639.35.

Hospitality

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how often Ministers in his Department have received hospitality in restaurants from outside groups in the last 12 months.

Paul Murphy: Since 1 April 2002, Ministers in the Northern Ireland Office have received hospitality in restaurants from outside groups on 27 occasions.

Libraries Investment

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to his answer of 5 March, Official Report, column 194W, when a decision will be made on which library facilities will benefit from the recently announced investment.

Angela Smith: A decision should be taken before the end of 2003 on which library projects are suitable for inclusion in the Strategic Investment Programme. The facilities that actually benefit will then depend on a number of factors including the outcome of the public private partnership procurement methodology that can take a year to 18 months to complete.
	The Department of Culture Arts and Leisure has commissioned PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PWC) to carry out a feasibility study to evaluate the potential for various forms of Public Private Partnership (PPP) to deliver improved value for money in library facilities when compared with more conventional procurement and to identify the forms of PPP that offer the greatest potential for improved value for money. The report is expected within a month and will help me to identify the high priority library projects that are most likely to attract private sector interest and therefore benefit from the Strategic Investment Programme. Within this programme £20 million has been identified for potential library and other information resources projects.

Organic Management

David Burnside: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what area of land is under organic management in Northern Ireland.

Ian Pearson: The following is the response from the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development:
	The total area of land in Northern Ireland under organic management is 5,200 hectares.

Police Band

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 
	(1)  whether outside funding has been used to finance the police band;
	(2)  how much the police band has cost in each of the last five years;
	(3)  how many band members there were of the RUC/PSNI band in each of the last five years.

Jane Kennedy: Despite attempts to source private sector funding and a National Lottery grant, no outside funding has ever been secured to finance the police band.
	The established strength of the PSNI band is a complement of 40 members. The actual strength has varied slightly from time to time as members left and others joined the band. When the decision was taken to stand down the band there were 32 members.
	Cost figures for the band for the last three years are shown in the table. The PSNI advise that figures for years 1998–99 and 1999–2000 are not readily available in the timescale requested as they are in archive, however I shall write to the hon. Member when the information is provided and place a copy in the Library of the House.
	
		
			  Band members Pay costs(5)(£) Transport costs (6)(£) Band uniform costs (£) Miscellaneous costs (£) Total (£) 
		
		
			 2000–01 34 1,213,061 80,000 5,772 13,709 1,312,542 
			 2001–02 32 1,214,444 85,000 0 12,951 1,312,395 
			 2002–03 32 1,252,990 90,000 0 3,634 1,346,624 
		
	
	(5) Pay costs based on average cost per rank.
	(6) Estimated transport costs

Programme for International Student Assessment

Roy Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether the results of the (a) 2003 and (b) previous programme for international student assessment will be considered by the review into the future of post primary education in Northern Ireland.

Jane Kennedy: The review of post-primary education will consider the results of PISA 2000, PISA 2003 when available, and other relevant statistical data, along with the views expressed in meetings with political parties, the education sector and parents and the responses to all strands of the consultation.

School Buildings

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much money has been allocated for (a) capital repairs and (b) new building in (i) primary and (ii) secondary schools in each Belfast constituency in each year since 1999.

Jane Kennedy: The money allocated for capital repairs, excluding maintenance work, is only available in the form requested from the 2000–01 financial year. The information is as follows:
	
		
			  Financial years 
			  2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 
			 Constituency (£000s) (£000s) (£000s) 
		
		
			 North Belfast: 
			 Primary Schools 511 623 552 
			 Secondary Schools (including Grammar Schools) 1,040 1,267 673 
			 South Belfast: 
			 Primary Schools 542 412 294 
			 Secondary Schools
			 (including Grammar Schools) 574 271 321 
			 East Belfast: 
			 Primary Schools 415 1,151 274 
			 Secondary Schools (including Grammar Schools) 416 1,300 342 
			 West Belfast: 
			 Primary Schools 1,222 250 279 
			 Secondary Schools (including Grammar Schools) 406 978 35 
		
	
	The money allocated for new building in my Department's capital programmes is as follows:
	
		
			  Capital programmes 
			  1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 
			 Constituency (£m) (£m) (£m) (£m) (£m) 
		
		
			 North Belfast: 
			 Primary Schools - - 3.80 - - 
			 Secondary Schools (including Grammar Schools) 0.03 13.45 1.00 0.03 33.20 
			 South Belfast:  
			 Primary Schools - 1.40 2.30 - - 
			 Secondary Schools (including Grammar Schools) - 1.05 16.80 - 0.30 
			 East Belfast: 
			 Primary Schools - 2.00 - - 6.10 
			 Secondary Schools (including Grammar Schools) - 0.48 0.27 0.32 47.00 
			 West Belfast: 
			 Primary Schools 2.40 5.10 4.00 1.40 4.30 
			 Secondary Schools (including Grammar Schools) 0.90 0.95 0.54 21.20 16.70

TREASURY

Business Investment

Paul Burstow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the level of business investment as a proportion of GDP since 1997 in (a) current and (b) constant prices; and if he will make a statement.

John Healey: In 2002, business investment stood at 12.4 per cent. of constant price GDP and 10.1 per cent. of current price GDP. Clearly the challenging global economic environment of recent years has had an adverse impact on investment in the UK as in all the other major economies. Nonetheless, even amidst the difficulties of the world economy in 2001 and 2002, business investment still stood 26 per cent. higher last year, in real terms, than it did in the year before this Government took office.

Government Finance

Chris Grayling: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the Government's PPP and PFI liabilities.

Paul Boateng: The Government accounts for their PPP and PFI liabilities in accordance with independently established accounting standards. Our treatment of PFI is audited by the National Audit Office and other independent audit bodies. We publish a full record of future payments under PFI contracts in the Budget.

Income Tax

David Cameron: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many taxpayers paid income tax at the higher rate in (a) 2002 and (b) 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: I refer the hon. Member to table T2.1 of Inland Revenue Statistics which can be found on their website on www.inlandrevenue.gov.uk/stats/income tax/it t01 1.htm

Education (Developing Countries)

Jim Dobbin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the impact of his proposed International Finance Facility on education in developing countries.

John Healey: The proposed International Finance Facility would seek to double aid for the world's poorest countries from $50 billion a year today to $100 billion a year up to 2015. It is designed specifically to help provide the additional finance needed to meet the internationally agreed Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
	This includes the goal of achieving universal primary education for all by 2015. Best available estimates suggest that achieving this would require around $10 billion more each year to be spent on education. The IFF would seek to provide this and the further finance needed to meet all the MDGs.

Manufacturing

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what new plans he has to stimulate investment in manufacturing.

John Healey: The most important contribution Government can make is to create a stable macroeconomic environment in which manufacturers can invest, grow and prosper. The Government have also introduced measures to help UK manufacturers improve their investment, productivity and competitiveness. Cuts in corporation tax and the R&D tax credit will substantially benefit manufacturers, while new venture capital funds, increased RDA budgets, strong spending on science and innovation, and our initiatives to boost skills are all stimulating investment.

National Insurance

David Amess: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent representations he has received about increases in national insurance contributions.

Dawn Primarolo: The Government have received a number of representations about the increases in national insurance contributions.

World Trade

Tom Harris: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions he has had on progress on world trade liberalisation.

John Healey: I refer my hon. Friend to the Chancellor's reply to the hon. Member for South Dorset (Jim Knight) earlier today on plans to discuss progress at the IMF and World bank.
	International trade is a matter for the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry. The Treasury contributes to the Government's policy discussion on trade issues, as well as in meetings of finance ministers touching on trade and the dialogue with international financial institutions.

Business Incentives

John McFall: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what pre-Budget submissions he has received on business incentives.

Dawn Primarolo: The Government have received a number of representations from businesses in all sectors of the economy. Ministers and officials have also met with business leaders to discuss representations, and to consider the role the Government can continue to play in fostering enterprise, improving productivity, and ensuring a competitive economy.

Mapeley Contract

Norman Lamb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the Mapeley STEPS PFI contract with the Inland Revenue and Customs and Excise.

Dawn Primarolo: The Chancellor made it clear to the House on 12 February 2003 that the Treasury would be studying the Treasury Select Committee Report into the STEPS deal. The Government will be responding to the committee's report in due course.

Air Travel Insurance Cover

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent representations he has received on insurance cover for those travelling by air in the event of a war or terrorist attack.

Ruth Kelly: The Chancellor has received no recent representations on insurance cover for those travelling by air in the event of war or terrorist attack.

Allowances Indexation

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate of the rate of inflation in September 2002 was used for the purposes of calculation of the revenue raised by non-indexation of allowances in financial year 2003–04 as set out in line 1 of table 1.2 of Budget 2002 (HC 592); and if he will make a statement.

Paul Boateng: The Budget 2002 forecast of Retail Price Index in September 2002 used for the purposes of calculating the revenue raised by non-indexation of allowances in financial year 2003–04 is given in table C3 of the 2002 Financial Statement and Budget Report.

Average Earnings

David Davis: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the gap between the average earnings of men and women was in (a) the East Riding of Yorkshire and (b) Yorkshire and the Humber in the last year for which figures are available.

Ruth Kelly: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
	Letter from Len. Cook to Mr David Davis, dated 27 March 2003
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question about the gap in average earnings between men and women in the East Riding of Yorkshire and in Yorkshire and the Humber. (105194)
	The table below shows the average hourly earnings excluding overtime for male and female full-time employees in April 2002, the most recent date for which information is available. The data are from the New Earnings Survey and apply to people on adult rates whose pay was not affected by absence.
	
		Average hourly earning—April 2002 -- £
		
			  Men Women difference 
		
		
			 East Riding of Yorkshire UA 10.47 8.56 1,91 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 10.72 9.20 1.52

Average Earnings

David Davis: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the average earnings were, broken down by (a) gender and (b) 10-year age band for each year since 1997.

Ruth Kelly: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Mr. David Davis, dated 27 March 2003
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question about the average earnings of people by gender and age band for each year since 1997. (105283)
	The table below shows the average hourly earnings excluding overtime for males and females, in ten year age bands, in April for each of the years specified. The data are from the New Earnings Survey and apply to people on adult rates working full-time whose pay was not affected by absence.
	
		Average hourly earnings—Great Britain -- £
		
			  Age 
			  16–25 26–53 36–45 46–55 56–65 
		
		
			 Males 
			 April 1997 6.32 9.00 10.93 11.16 9.26 
			 April 1998 6.59 9.42 11.39 11.82 9.62 
			 April 1999 7.01 9.89 11.83 12.21 10.23 
			 April 2000 7.09 10.36 12.39 12.68 10.55 
			 April 2001 7.49 11.19 13.16 13.37 11.18 
			 April 2002 8.22 12.06 14.02 13.86 11.45 
			 Females 
			 April 1997 5.67 8.21 8.75 8.17 7.06 
			 April 1998 5.93 8.60 9.13 8.50 7.41 
			 April 1999 6.29 9.06 9.59 9.05 7.87 
			 April 2000 6.54 9.43 10.09 9.41 8.40 
			 April 2001 6.97 10.25 10.72 9.96 8.96 
			 April 2002 7.55 10.95 11.11 10.43 9.21

Black Economy

Marion Roe: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his most recent estimate is of the level of turnover of the black economy as it pertains to the construction industry.

Dawn Primarolo: It is not possible to provide reliable estimates about the level of turnover of the black economy as it pertains to the construction industry.

Child Tax Credit

Joan Walley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many applicants for the Child Tax Credit from Staffordshire are waiting to hear (a) if they have qualified, (b) how much they will receive and (c) when they will be paid; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: Information about how many people have qualified for tax credits in Staffordshire, how much they will receive and when they will be paid is not available.
	The Inland Revenue will publish statistics on the Child and Working Tax Credit quarterly, beginning in August 2003. The first set of statistics will cover awards at early July 2003.

Council Tax

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  pursuant to his answer of 18 March 2003, Official Report, column 674, on council tax, whether the definition of gross council tax for Great Britain used is the same as that used for the local taxes line of the average income tax tables contained within the document "The effects of taxes and benefits on household income 2000–01";
	(2)  to which parts of the UK the (a) domestic rates and (b) water charges element of the local taxes line of the average income tax tables contained within the document "The effects of taxes and benefits on household income 2000–01" are applicable.

Ruth Kelly: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Matthew Taylor, dated 27 March 2003
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Questions to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, on whether the definition of gross council tax for Great Britain, used in the answer to your question of 18th March in the Official Report, column 674, is the same as that used for the local taxes line contained within the document 'The effects of taxes and benefits on household income 2000–01'. In addition you asked to which parts of the UK the (a) domestic rates and (b) water charges elements of the local taxes line in the same document were applicable. (104751, 104753)
	The definition of gross council tax for Great Britain, used in the answer was the same as that used within the local taxes line of the tables contained within the document 'The effects of taxes and benefits on household income 2000–01.' However, the local taxes category used in the published tables for the United Kingdom includes council taxes, water and sewerage charges for England, Scotland and Wales and domestic rates in Northern Ireland.

Council Tax

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will break down the figures for council tax as a percentage of gross income in his answer of 18 March 2003, Official Report, column 674, on council tax, into figures for (a) England, (b) Wales and (c) Scotland.

Ruth Kelly: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Matthew Taylor, dated 27 March 2003
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question to the Chancellor of the Exchequer asking for a break down of the figures for council tax as a percentage of gross income for (a) England, (b) Wales and (c) Scotland, as given for Great Britain in the answer to your earlier question on 18th March in the Official Report, column 674. (104752)
	Estimates for council taxes and income are based on the analysis "The effects of taxes and benefits on household income 2000–01" produced by the ONS and published on the National Statistics website on April 19th 2002 and in Economic Trends in the May 2002 edition. The analysis can be obtained from the House of Commons library. This includes measures of income inequality for the United Kingdom as a whole based on data from the Family Expenditure Survey. Sample sizes for each country are only sufficient to allow a break down to be given by quintiles of income distribution and not by decile as given for Great Britain in the answer to your previous question.
	The following table shows the estimated gross and net council tax for all households in Great Britain and (a) England, (b) Scotland and (c) Wales, for each income quintile where households are ranked by equivalised disposable income. The net council tax figures are gross council tax less benefits and discounts. The table also shows the equivalised disposable income quintile point boundaries, which have been calculated separately for Great Britain and each country. For example, the 1st quintile point for each country is the income below which one fifth of households in that country lie.
	Council tax benefit is available to low income households to help them meet their local tax liability. The Family Expenditure Survey collects data on the amount of council tax benefit received by households who take up their entitlement. Where a household reports taking up their council tax benefit entitlement, this has been deducted from the council tax liability to produce the net figures.
	
		Council tax as a percentage of gross income 2000–01 -- Great Britain Percentage
		
			Quintile groups of all households ranked by equivalised disposable income 
			   Bottom  2nd  3rd  4th  Top All households 
		
		
			 Quintile points (equivalised Great Britain  9,821  13,890  19,122  27,253   
			 disposable income £ per year) England  9,903  14,102  19,591  27,916   
			  Scotland  9,468  12,842  17,051  23,892   
			  Wales  9,182  12,191  16,316  21,067   
			 
			 Gross council tax Great Britain 7.0  4.3  3.0  2.3  1.5 2.6 
			  England 7.1  4.3  2.9  2.2  1.5 2.5 
			  Scotland 7.0  4.8  3.5  2.8  2.0 3.1 
			  Wales 6.0  3.8  3.0  2.2  1.7 2.6 
			 
			 Net council tax(7) Great Britain 4.2  3.3  2.7  2.2  1.5 2.2 
			  England 4.3  3.3  2.7  2.1  1.4 2.2 
			  Scotland 4.0  3.6  3.3  2.7  2.0 2.7 
			  Wales 3.0  2.7  2.7  2.0  1.7 2.2 
		
	
	(7) Net council taxes rates after deducting discounts
	Source:
	Office for National Statistics, based on the analysis 'The effects of taxes and benefits on household income', published on the ONS website and in Economic Trends No. 582 May 2002.

Dormant Accounts

Martyn Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what critieria are used to identify National Savings and Investments which are dormant savings and investment accounts; how much remains in such accounts; and how many such accounts there are.

Ruth Kelly: In common with other financial institutions, National Savings and Investments (NS&I) identifies a holding as dormant when it knows that it has lost touch with its customer—e.g. mail returned as undelivered. Given current IT capability, it is not yet possible to define and precisely quantify dormant holdings because the nature of some NS&I products means there may not be any contact with the holder for many years but the holding is still live.
	"Unclaimed monies" in the NS&I Product Accounts relate to products which have been redeemed by the Treasury, or where monthly interest or prizes are due. These monies are regarded as unclaimed when NS&I have been unable to make the payment and where the sums involved have been transferred to the Commissioners for the Reduction of the National Debt. The total at 31 March 2002 was 30.1m. But it is not possible to say how many such holdings exist.

Equitable Life

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he has taken to ensure that the Penrose Inquiry into Equitable Life will report as soon as possible.

Ruth Kelly: Lord Penrose is independent of the Treasury. It is, therefore, for Lord Penrose to determine the procedures for his Inquiry, including the timetable for reporting to Ministers. Lord Penrose has said that his aim is to report to Ministers in June.
	The Treasury has co-operated fully with Lord Penrose's Inquiry and has provided him with all the resources which he has asked for.

Equity Prices

Howard Flight: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assumptions were used in forming the assumption in paragraph 2.44 of the pre-Budget Report 2002, that equity prices will rise in line with money GDP.

Ruth Kelly: I refer the hon. Member to paragraph 11 of the Comptroller and Auditor General's report "Audit of Assumptions for the Pre-Budget 2000 Report" (HC 959, Session 1999–2000).

Fiscal Projections

Howard Flight: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether National Audit Office audits of the key assumptions used for the fiscal projections made in the 2002 pre-Budget report audit (a) the process used in making these assumptions and (b) the assumptions themselves.

Ruth Kelly: In accordance with Sections 156 and 157 of the 1998 Finance Act, the National Audit Office has been invited to audit any changes to the key assumptions and conventions underlying the fiscal projections; these are set out in Box B1 of the 2002 pre-Budget report (Cm 5664). In addition, prior to the March 2000 Budget my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer invited the Comptroller and Auditor General to carry out a three-year 'rolling review' of these assumptions.
	The remit for this exercise is set out in paragraph 6 of the Comptroller's report on the Audit of Assumptions for the 2002 Pre-Budget Report (HC 109, Session 2002–03):
	To ensure that the key audited assumptions underpinning projections of the public finances remain valid, the Comptroller and Auditor General shall examine each audited assumption three years after its most recent audit (a) to review whether the assumption has resulted in reasonable and cautious projections of the elements of the public finances projections it relates to since it was first audited; and (b) to check that it remains a reasonable and cautious assumption to use in future projections of the public finances.

Fiscal Rules

Howard Flight: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to paragraph 2.10 of the pre-Budget report, Cm 5664, whether the Government are on target to meet their fiscal rules.

Ruth Kelly: Consistent with the "Code for Fiscal Stability", updated projections for the public finances will be set out in the Budget on 9 April 2003.

Food Imports

David Lidington: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on steps he is taking to enhance the ability of HM Customs and Excise to check food imports.

John Healey: As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs made clear in her written ministerial statement on 25 March 2003, Official Report, column 5WS, HM Customs and Excise will take on responsibility for anti-smuggling controls on meat and other products of animal origin arriving from third countries with effect from 11 April 2003.
	Appropriate powers covering England, Wales and Scotland will come into force then, with equivalent powers in Northern Ireland following later. Commensurate with these new responsibilities, the Department for the Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs (Defra) will make a transfer to Customs from the funds that the Government have made available to tackle these illegal imports. Customs will use these funds to increase front-line detection resources and provide support for this with improved intelligence, publicity and appropriate follow-up to detections.

FTSE 100

Howard Flight: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what research was commissioned by his Department prior to the publication of the pre-budget report into the level of the FTSE 100 index between March and October 2002.

Ruth Kelly: The 2002 pre-Budget report included an extensive discussion of global equity market developments during 2002, including analysis of the FTSE 100 index. This discussion is set out in Box A1 on page 153 of the pre-Budget report. The audited equity price assumption for the public finance projections relates to the FTSE All-Share index and is set out in Box B1 on page 188 of the pre-Budget report.

Gross Domestic Product

Howard Flight: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his Department's assessment is of how the current conflict in the middle east will affect GDP growth in (a) the UK and (b) the other G7 countries.

Ruth Kelly: The Government will publish updated forecasts for UK and G7 GDP growth in the Budget on 9 April taking into account all relevant factors, including the situation in the middle east.

Gross Domestic Product

David Davis: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the GDP was in each region in each year since 1997.

Ruth Kelly: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Mr. David Davis dated 27 March 2003
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent question on estimates of regional gross domestic product (GDP). (105287)
	The term gross value added (GVA) is now used. Although these economic estimates have been historically referred to as GDP, under the European System of Accounts 95 (ESA95), they should be referred to as GVA at basic prices rather than GDP. This is because they are produced at basic prices, which includes the effects of taxes less subsidies on production. ONS has effected the change from GDP at factor cost to GVA at basic prices as part of implementation of ESA95, along with all other EU countries.
	Latest estimates of regional GDP were published in February 2001 for the period 1989 to 1999. The following table shows GVA by Government Office Region (GOR) for the calendar years 1997 to 1999.
	
		Total gross value added -- £ million
		
			 Government office region 1997 1998 1999 
		
		
			 North East 24,202 25,294 25,875 
			 North West 72,414 75,275 77,562 
			 Yorkshire and The Humber 53,182 55,457 57,554 
			 East Midlands 47,261 49,413 50,906 
			 West Midlands 57,783 61,130 63,495 
			 East of England 72,698 77,962 81,793 
			 London 108,559 118,499 122,816 
			 South East 108,276 116,024 121,956 
			 South West 53,580 56,064 58,151 
			 Wales 28,010 29,541 30,689 
			 Scotland 58,650 62,153 64,050 
			 Northern Ireland 15,952 16,501 17,003 
			 Extra-Regio(8) 14,560 11,983 14,350 
			 United Kingdom(9) 715,127 755,297 (10)787,386 
		
	
	(8) Extra Regio is that part of the UK's economic territory which cannot be allocated to any specific region. The contribution to UK GDP of UK embassies abroad and UK forces stationed overseas is included in Extra-Regio, along with the element of GDP relating to activities taking place on the continental shelf.
	(9) Figures for all years may not sum due to rounding.
	(10) Regional figures for the latest year do not sum to the UK total due to the statistical discrepancy in the National Accounts. For years up to 1998 figures are based on fully reconciled national estimates of income and expenditure. At the time of this publication the 1999 data had not been completely reconciled and a statistical discrepancy exists, which is not broken down by region. For 1999 this discrepancy is £1,188 million.

Government Spending

Howard Flight: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list (a) total Government spending, (b) the change in Government spending and (c) the proportion of total Government spending used for long-term capital investment in each year since 1999.

Paul Boateng: Table B27 in the pre-Budget report 2002 sets out total managed expenditure and public sector investment in real terms from 1970–71.

Insurance and Corporation Taxes Act

Christopher Chope: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer for what reasons the recent changes were made by the Inland Revenue to their interpretation of section 660 of the Insurance and Corporation Taxes Act 1988; and what additional revenue he expects the Exchequer to receive as a result.

Dawn Primarolo: The Inland Revenue has not changed its interpretation of sections 660A to 669 of the Income and Corporation Taxes Act 1988.

Private Investment

Howard Flight: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what research was conducted to reach his prediction in paragraph 2.26 of the pre-Budget report that private investment is expected to increase during 2003.

Ruth Kelly: Full details of the private investment forecast are set out in Annex A of the pre-Budget report.

Public Sector Finances

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will place in the Library a copy of the assessment made by the Treasury Public Sector Finances Team and the Inland Revenue which was presented at the Treasury Management Board meeting on 4 November 2002.

Paul Boateng: The presentation made to the Treasury Management Board constitutes internal advice and is exempt from disclosure under Exemption 2 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

Registration Officers

Brian Iddon: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress he is making to introduce a right for registration officers to be heard at employment tribunals when they are unfairly dismissed.

Ruth Kelly: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Dr. Iddon, dated 27 March 2003
	As National Statistician and Registrar General, I have been asked to reply to your recent parliamentary question concerning the progress to introduce a right for registration officers to be heard at employment tribunals when they are unfairly dismissed. (105346)
	In July 2002 the Department of Trade and Industry issued a Discussion Document of Employment Rights in Relation to Statutory Employment Rights. Currently they are analysing the responses to this wide-ranging discussion document, including those held by registration officers.
	The White Paper, Civil Registration: Vital Change [CM5355], proposes that registration officers will be transferred to local authority employment and receive the employment protection currently held by local government officers, including the right to be heard at an employment tribunal. This will require legislative change.

RPIX Inflation

Howard Flight: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assumptions were behind his assessment made in paragraph 2.28 of the pre-Budget report that RPIX inflation would fall below the Government's 25 per cent. target.

Ruth Kelly: A discussion of the RPIX inflation forecast can be found in paragraphs A55-A59 of Annex A of the pre-Budget report.

Stamp Duty

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will conduct a public consultation on modernising stamp duty, with particular reference to (a) lease duty, (b) anti-avoidance measures and (c) tax reliefs.

Ruth Kelly: The Chancellor announced a wide-ranging reform of stamp duty on land and buildings in the UK in his 2002 Budget. Consultation on this reform was launched with the publication of a consultative document on 17 April 2002 entitled "Modernising Stamp Duty on Land and Buildings in the UK", seeking views on the detail of the modernised regime. This document included the three particular aspects to which the question refers. In addition, a number of discussions were held last year with representative bodies.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Active Community Unit

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what initiatives are planned for the constituency of Buckingham funded by the Active Community Unit; and what target he has for involvement in volunteering of residents in the constituency.

Beverley Hughes: The Active Community Unit funds a wide range of national voluntary and community sector organisations which benefit every area of England although no separate projects for Buckingham alone. The Government are committed to increasing community participation, including volunteering, by 5 per cent. by 2006; there is not a separate target for Buckingham alone.

Aldershot Barracks (Bomb)

Roy Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made in securing convictions against those responsible for the bomb at the Aldershot military barracks on 22 February 1972.

David Blunkett: The case remains open. Should any new evidence or intelligence come, to the attention of the police service, in this or any other similar cases, it will, of course, be investigated fully.

Civil Contingency Planning

Paul Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what arrangements are in place to establish a national network of observers to monitor and report evidence of chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear attacks on the UK population.

David Blunkett: The Government have taken several approaches to monitor for chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear releases, accidental or deliberate. These approaches include the well-established Radiological Incident Monitoring Network (RIMNET), air pollution monitors, the Department of Health's surveillance system and also the experience of the health and emergency services.

Civil Contingency Planning

Paul Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many units in the civil Departments are trained to respond to a chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear terrorist attack.

David Blunkett: The emergency services are trained to provide the immediate response to a chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) incident, whether it is accidental or deliberate. There are also specialist bodies within the health service, such as the Chemical Incident Response Service; specialist agencies within Departments, such as the Environment Agency; and public bodies such as the National Radiological Protection Board or the Food Standards Agency.
	These organisations, and others like them, are trained in the short, medium and long-term responses required to any incident involving CBRN material. They have assisted and continue to work with the Government in reviewing and maintaining contingency plans to make sure we maintain an effective response to potential CBRN incidents.

Community Support Officers

Richard Ottaway: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what security policing community support officers have provided in central London in the last month.

Bob Ainsworth: There are currently 196 community support officers fulfilling an important security role in the City of Westminster.
	The precise deployment of police and community support officers involved in security roles is regularly reviewed and varied in line with the latest intelligence. It is not the Metropolitan Police Service's policy to disclose this information for security reasons.

Connexions Service

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average time taken to process a Criminal Records Bureau check on an employee or consultant of the Connexions service has been.

Hilary Benn: There are no IT procedures at present to extract the information requested from the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) database. The estimated average turnaround of checks processed by the CRB remains at approximately five weeks. This is measured from the point at which a correctly completed form is received by the CRB, accompanied by all relevant supporting details.

Data Protection

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what items of personal data which the Security Service has released to data subjects following requests under the Data Protection Act 1998; and if he will make a statement.

David Blunkett: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Lewes (Norman Baker) on 24 February 2003, Official Report, column 328W.

Drug Testing

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which EU countries have compulsory drug-testing on arrest; and what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of adopting this policy.

Bob Ainsworth: We are not aware of any European Union countries which have, on arrest, compulsory drug testing on a comparable basis with the provision for testing persons in police detention after charge, introduced in England and Wales under the Criminal Justice and Court Services Act 2000.
	That provision, with other provisions introduced under the Act for testing persons under probation supervision, is being fully evaluated as part of the drug testing pilot programme operating in nine sites in England and Wales. A preliminary findings report was published as HO Findings 176 in May 2002. A further interim report on the emerging findings from the pilot programme is being published very shortly as HO Findings 180 and will be placed in the Library. A full final evaluation report is due in spring 2004.

Experience Corps

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what initiatives are being undertaken by the Experience Corps for volunteering in the constituency of Buckingham.

Beverley Hughes: The Experience Corps is a national initiative. Its aim is to encourage more people aged 50 and over to become or to remain active in their local communities. It encourages participation by people who have not volunteered before and provides mechanisms to assist the sector to ensure that new volunteers are invited to participate in the full range of volunteering opportunities. It has no initiatives specific to Buckingham but its services are likely to benefit people nationwide, including residents of Buckingham.

Experience Corps

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the Experience Corps that have been set up in the constituency of Buckingham; and how much funding each corps has received.

Beverley Hughes: The Experience Corps is a national initiative. Funding for the Experience Corps amounts to a total of £19.9 million over three years to March 2004. To date they have received £11.67 million. Funding has not been allocated by constituency.

Illegal Drugs (Afghanistan)

Bill Tynan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent estimate he has made of the proportion of (a) heroin, (b) cannabis and (c) other illegal drugs used within the United Kingdom which come from Afghanistan.

Bob Ainsworth: Her Majesty's Customs and Excise estimates that up to 95 per cent. of the heroin consumed in the United Kingdom each year originates from opium produced in Afghanistan. There are no indications that cannabis or any other illegal drugs originating from Afghanistan are being smuggled into the UK.

Immigration Rules

Si�n Simon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what changes will be made to the definition of public funds in Rule 6 of the Immigration Rules to reflect (a) the forthcoming abolition of certain benefits and (b) the introduction of new tax credits.

Beverley Hughes: From April the Inland Revenue is introducing two new tax credits, child tax credit (CTC) and working tax credit (WTC). These will replace working families tax credit (WFTC) and disabled person's tax credit (DPTC). WFTC and DPTC will be removed from the list of public funds given at paragraph 6 of the Immigration Rules, and WTC and CTC will be added in their place, by means of a rules change later this year.

Immigration Rules

Si�n Simon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether a claim under the terms of Regulation 3(2) of The Tax Credits (Immigration) Regulations 2003 (S.I. 2003, No. 653, by a couple including a person who is subject to immigration control will not be considered to be a breach of any restriction contained in a visa.

Beverley Hughes: The provisions of Regulation 3(2) of The Tax Credits (Immigration) Regulations 2003 will be fully taken into account when any changes are made to the list of public funds given at paragraph 6 of the Immigration Rules. In line with this regulation, receipt of tax credits by a couple, including one member who is a person subject to immigration control, will not be regarded as a breach of any condition of leave to enter or remain.

Indonesia

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to release Home Office papers from 197576 concerning Indonesia, East Timor and the Balebo killings.

David Blunkett: A check has been made through various sources but we have been unable to establish any Home Office documents relating to the events specified in the question and therefore there are no relevant papers to release.

Mental Health

Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the funding arrangements will be for mental health provision within prisons after April.

Hilary Benn: Budgetary responsibility for prison health is being transferred from the Prison Service to the Department of Health from 1 April 2003. However, for the first three years the majority of resourcing for prison health, including most primary care mental health provision, will be transferred back to the Prison Service, which will continue to deliver or commission most services through individual prisons as before.
	Funding for those NHS prison mental health in-reach services established before the end of 200203 was included in the baseline resource level allocations issued to the Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) concerned in December 2002. Further allocations, in respect of new in-reach services to be developed in 200304 and additional support for some existing services, will be made to the relevant PCTs shortly.

Miscarriages of Justice

Patrick McLoughlin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent guidelines he has issued to the police on the reinvestigation of miscarriages of justice.

Bob Ainsworth: There is no national guidance on this issue. It is for individual police forces to decide how to respond on the basis of the Court of Appeal's ruling and the circumstances of the individual case. The police will review the evidence available and any comments or findings made by the Court in cases where convictions are overturned.

New Hall Prison

Vera Baird: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many (a) male and (b) female officers are employed with juvenile girls at New Hall prison;
	(2)  how many staff at the New Hall prison have had training in child protection; and what this comprised;
	(3)  how many times control and restraint have been applied by male staff on juvenile girls in New Hall prison.

Hilary Benn: 14 members of the staff at New Hall prison and young offender institution have been trained in child protection. This includes four who have been trained as trainers so that further training can be rolled out within the establishment from April.
	Training of trainers involves a two day course and trainers deliver a three hour module to staff. The module provides background on the legislation and goes on to concentrate on recognition of and response to problems; for example, signs and symptoms of abuse and how to deal with them.
	Between 1 April 2002 and 17 March 2003 there were 71 incidents at New Hall involving the use of control and restraint on juveniles. About 46 of those involved male staff. In all, 231 staff were involved in the incidents and of those about 73 were male.
	There are 18 male officers and 29 female officers on the Juvenile and Young Offender Unit at New Hall.

Parliamentary Questions

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the hon. Member for Sutton and Cheam will receive replies to his questions (a) 102841, (b) 101017, (c) 101032, (d) 89980, (e) 89990 and (f) 89993.

Hilary Benn: Question 101032 was answered on 12 March 2003, Official Report, column 307W. Questions 89980, 89990 and 89993 were all withdrawn. I will reply as soon as possible to questions 102841 and 101017.

Police Numbers

Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the population per police officer was in each year since 1997 in (a) England and (b) Surrey.

Bob Ainsworth: holding answer on 25 March 2003
	The tables give population per police officer in England and Surrey in each year from 1997 to 2002.
	
		
			 England Population (mid year estimates for previous year) Police strength Population per police officer 
		
		
			 March 1997 48,903,440 118,459 413 
			 March 1998 49,089,085 118,139 416 
			 March 1999 49,284,242 117,195 421 
			 March 2000 49,494,582 115,324 429 
			 March 2001 49,752,864 116,548 427 
			 March 2002 49,997,089 120,073 416 
		
	
	
		
			 Surrey Population (mid year estimates for previous year) Police strength Population per police officer 
		
		
			 March 1997 775,226 1,620 479 
			 March 1998 776,643 1,608 483 
			 March 1999 784,360 1,662 472 
			 March 2000 786,729 1,785 441 
			 March 2001 1,078,067 2,066 522 
			 March 2002 1,080,647 1,992 543 
		
	
	Note:The figures for Surrey were affected by the boundary changes in April 2000

Police Officers (Portsmouth)

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) full-time and (b) part-time police officers there were in the Portsmouth City area in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Ainsworth: Information is not collected on a regular basis about the number of officers deployed to Basic Command Units within force areas. I would however refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Southwark, North and Bermondsey (Simon Hughes) on 2 December 2002, Official Report, column 589W, setting out police strength for each Basic Command Unit for each force in England and Wales as at 31 March 2002.
	The deployment of resources between the 12 territorial divisions and other specialist operational and support units of the Hampshire Constabulary is an operational matter for the Chief Constable.

Prisoners (Drug Treatment)

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his answer of 18 March, Official Report, column 710W, on drug treatment of prisoners, how many offenders did not require drug and alcohol detoxification on entering prison between 1 April 2001 and 31 March 2002.

Hilary Benn: The information sought is not available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost. As my previous answer explained, the Prison Service and the Department of Health are only able to report the number of detoxifications carried out. This figure does not necessarily reflect the actual detoxification need, norby extensionthe number of prisoners who do not require the intervention.

Prisons (Juvenile Girls)

Vera Baird: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether juvenile girls are held with adult women prisoners.

Hilary Benn: In two establishments, Brockhill and Eastwood Park, prisoners under 21 are housed together in wings. The juveniles are in a dedicated part of the wing in their own single rooms. All offenders have meals, fresh air and recreation together under close supervision. Juveniles receive special education and physical education provision. Some mixing with young offenders occurs under close supervision during education.
	At Bullwood Hall juveniles are in a dedicated wing and are accommodated separately within education. Some mixing with older girls under supervision occurs with common events such as chapel.
	New Hall has a separate unit for juveniles but also has additional accommodation that has recently been established to cater for increased numbers of young women. Juvenile girls are accommodated in that facility when operationally necessary. All juveniles have their own dedicated education but mixing does occur at times and is closely supervised.
	The arrangements outlined apply to remand and sentenced girls at those establishments. Additional remand facilities for juvenile girls exist at Low Newton, Styal and Holloway. These require juveniles to share with young offenders. Finance has recently been obtained to provide special facilities for juveniles at Holloway.

Prisons (Juvenile Girls)

Vera Baird: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many juvenile girls in prison are pregnant.

Hilary Benn: The information requested is not available.

Probation Officers (Suffolk)

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many probation officers were in post in Suffolk in each year since 1997; and how many (a) offences and (b) offenders the Probation Service in Suffolk dealt with in each year since 1997.

Hilary Benn: The information requested is as follows:
	
		Numbers of probation officers(11),(12)
		
			 Suffolk 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 
		
		
			 Probation officers 89 94 95.4 97 97.5 
			 Probation Service officers 12 9 16 18 25 
			 Total 101 103 111.4 115 122.5 
		
	
	(11) Numbers shown as whole time equivalents.
	(12) Information shown taken at 31 December.
	Although the question specifically asks for the number of probation officers, the information on Probation Service officers has also been provided. There has been an increasing growth in the use of Probation Service officers to support the work undertaken by probation officers. In particular, the use of accredited programme has seen a number low/medium risk offenders supervised as part of a group rather than on an individual basis as has occurred in the past. Probation Service officers, who receive specific training to enable them to manage these programmes and supervise the offenders participating, run these accredited programmes.
	(a) Probation figures are reported by person and therefore information pertaining to the number of offences dealt with by the probation service are not available.
	(b) Suffolk:
	
		Persons starting supervision by the Probation Service
		
			  Number of offenders 
		
		
			  
			  
			 1997 1,346 
			 1998 1,467 
			 1999 1,420 
			 2000 1,418 
			 2001 1,373 
		
	
	Source:
	Figures obtained from RDS Probation Statistics 2001.

Scotland

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many times he has visited Scotland on official duties each year since 2000; and what meetings were held on each occasion.

David Blunkett: Since becoming Home Secretary, I have visited Scotland once on official business. I have also visited several times on party business. In line with exemptions 2 and 7 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information, it is not normal practice to release details of specific meetings or their content, as some of these discussions may have taken place on a confidential basis.

Special Constabulary (Suffolk)

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the strength was of the special constabulary in Suffolk in each year since 1997.

Bob Ainsworth: The information requested is set out in the table. The latest available figures are for March 2002, when there were 308 special constables in Suffolk constabulary. Figures for 31 March 2003 will be published in due course with other police personnel statistical data.
	
		
			 Year (as at 31 March) Special constable strength in Suffolk 
		
		
			 1997 379 
			 1998 397 
			 1999 420 
			 2000 391 
			 2001 349 
			 2002 308 
		
	
	Source:
	Home Office Research, Development and Statistical Group.
	The National Policing Plan 200306 reaffirms our commitment to introducing measures to increase the numbers and effectiveness of the special constabulary. The National Specials Weekend which was held on 2123 February provided an opportunity for forces to
	encourage more recruits by raising the profile of the Special Constabulary and recognising the enormous contribution made by its members to local policing.
	The new specials website, which can be found at www.specialconstables.gov.uk, has been designed so that specials and their managers can keep abreast of developments and share good practice. Guidance on good practice in all aspects of specials' local recruitment, management and deployment is being produced by the Home Office with the Association of Chief Police Officers, and will be published on this site.
	Additionally, we have introduced amendments to the Special Constabulary Regulations to allow police authorities to submit schemes, which they have agreed with the chief constable, for the payment of special constables. Such schemes will require the approval of the Secretary of State. Running a number of trial schemes will help establish to what extent payments to specials have a positive effect on their recruitment and retention and the number of hours they are able to offer their force. As announced by my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary on 24 March, the first such scheme to be authorised is in Workington in Cumbria.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Burundi

Jenny Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent discussions her Department has had with the World Food Programme regarding the humanitarian situation in Burundi.

Clare Short: The DFID representative in Bujumbura is in regular contact with WFP and the UN co-ordination team and regularly attends the weekly contact group for UN and other agencies which is co-ordinated by the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
	In early March WFP distributed 7,744 tons of food to over 750,000 beneficiaries. They currently have just under 3,500 tons of stock available. They are appealing for further contributions in order to maintain deliveries. We are considering this request in the context of our overall humanitarian response.

Departmental Invoices

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will list the occasions on which her Department, agencies and non-departmental public bodies failed to pay valid invoices within 30 days or after the agreed credit period within financial year 200102.

Clare Short: In the 20012002 financial year my department received 34,435 invoices. 96.62 per cent. of valid invoices were paid within the prompt payment deadline.

Emergency Preparedness

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on a Joint NGO Emergency Preparedness Initiative.

Clare Short: The Joint NGO Emergency Preparedness Initiative (JNEPI) is a consortium of non-governmental organisations consisting of the International Medical Corps, International Rescue Committee, Mercy Corps, Save the Children U.S. and World Vision U.S. It aims to serve as a clearing house for information gathered by its members and other agencies on the Iraq situation. It is currently based in Amman, Jordan. My Department is in regular contact with JNEPI on humanitarian preparedness planning.

Iraq

John Lyons: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much UK will invest in reconstruction and aid to Iraq in 200304.

Clare Short: My Department has an ongoing programme of humanitarian support to the people of Iraq which is delivered through NGOs and international organisations. This programme is allocated 6 million in 200304.
	In addition, I have committed 50 million to support preparations and work by humanitarian agencies in the current crisis. This includes 32 million for the Red Cross/Red Crescent and 8 million for the World Food Programme. My Department has a further 40 million set aside for the immediate humanitarian response and is considering further assistance in line with emerging needs.
	DFID also provides 19 per cent. of European Community (EC) funding for Iraq. On 21 March the College of European Commissioners proposed to release an additional Euro79 million from their Emergency Aid Reserve, increasing their total commitment to Euro100 million. This funding is still to be approved by the European Council.
	It is too soon to allocate funds for the post-war reconstruction of Iraq.

Iraq

Martin Caton: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what criteria will be used to determine whether Iraq is too insecure for civilian humanitarian agencies to operate within its borders.

Clare Short: Humanitarian agencies cannot operate until a permissive security environment has been established. Until such time as alternative arrangements are made, the military will discharge their humanitarian obligations under the Geneva and The Hague conventions in order to provide relief in the interim in the territory they occupy. The Office of the UN Security Co-ordinator (UNSECOORD) provides security advice to the UN humanitarian agencies. Once the situation allows, NGOs will need to undertake their own security assessments before engaging. Security updates are being provided through the Humanitarian Operations Centre in Kuwait.

Iraq

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much pre-positioned stocks of humanitarian aid is held by USAID for the people of Iraq.

Clare Short: So far, USAID has announced $154 million for humanitarian relief, food distribution, reconstruction and transition initiatives. The State Department's Bureau for Population, Refugees and Migration has also contributed over $15 million to agency pre-positioning efforts.

Iraq

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what is being done to (a) ensure the safety of pre-positioned stocks of humanitarian aid for Iraqi people and (b) open access to them.

Clare Short: DFID has been in close discussion with the Ministry of Defence over many months working to minimise the humanitarian impact of any conflict; both to limit the risks to the Iraqi population and the infrastructure on which they depend, and to ensure that UK forces meet their obligations under The Hague and Geneva conventions governing armed conflict.
	DFID has provided funding to humanitarian agencies to enable them to pre-position stocks for the Iraqi people. Agencies use their standard operating procedures to monitor these stocks. The armed forces provide security advice on access issues. Distribution of humanitarian supplies is based on assessments of need and giving priority to the most urgent cases of distress, rather than open access to all.

Iraq

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much money her Department has given to (a) USAID, (b) the UN and (c) non-governmental organisations for humanitarian contingency plans for Iraq.

Clare Short: USAID is the development arm of the US government. DFID obviously does not fund it.
	To date, DFID has committed 50 million to support preparations and work by humanitarian agencies in the current crisis. Of this, 13 million has been committed to UN agencies and 32 million to the International Red Cross/Red Crescent movement. 5 million has been committed to NGOs, of which specific agreements have been reached to date for 1 million. My Department has a further 40 million set aside for the immediate humanitarian response and is considering further assistance in line with emerging needs. We anticipate a further appeal from the UN and are continuing to assess proposals from NGOs.
	DFID also provide 19 per cent. of European Community (EC) funding for Iraq. On 21 March the College of European Commissioners proposed to release an additional Euro79 million from the Emergency Aid Reserve, increasing their total commitment to Euro100 million. This funding is still to be approved by the Council.

Iraq

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development which international non-governmental organisations and local Iraqi non-governmental organisations she is in discussions with concerning the situation in Iraq; and when these discussions commenced.

Clare Short: My officials have been meeting with NGOs in London for several weeks and are liasing with them in the region. Until now we have not been in a position to meet with local Iraqi non-governmental organisations.
	DFID has received and is urgently assessing a substantial number of proposals from NGOs.

Iraq

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the likelihood of using frozen Iraqi Government assets for humanitarian relief and post-conflict reconstruction; and how much this money is estimated to be.

Clare Short: In accordance with UN Security Council resolutions 661, 687 and 778, the UK Government have the power to freeze the accounts of the Government of Iraq, bodies incorporated in Iraq and residents of Iraq. UK banks hold US$648 million in frozen Iraqi assets.
	The UK Government do not have the power to appropriate the assets in these accounts, and we are considering how best to deal with them. Subject to protecting the legitimate interests of private asset holders, we are keen that those assets held in the UK, as well as those held worldwide, should be used for the future benefit of the people of Iraq.

Iraq

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans are in place to deal with water and sanitation contaminated by biological weapons in Iraq.

Clare Short: Use of biological weapons is a risk which no humanitarian agency is properly prepared to respond to. UK and US military strategy aims to minimise this risk. The Ministry of Defence are considering what limited response they could provide in the event of an attack on Iraqi civilians.

Iraq

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development 
	(1)  what recent discussions and representations she has had with the (a) United States, (b) United Nations, (c) European Union, (d) other states and (e) organisations and individuals regarding the reconstruction and development of (i) broadcasting and (ii) cultural services in Iraq; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  how much her Department has committed to the reconstruction of broadcasting and cultural services in Iraq, broken down by type; and what proportion this constitutes of the total post-conflict funds for such measures.

Clare Short: It is too soon to allocate funds for the post-war reconstruction of Iraqi broadcasting and cultural services. We are having some discussions on these and other reconstruction issues, but our first priority is to secure a UN mandate to provide legal authority for the overall reconstruction effort. This would make possible the engagement of the International Financial Institutions and the wider international community. The Government are holding on-going discussions with key partners to ensure such a mandate is put in place.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Council Tax (Park Homes)

Candy Atherton: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what recent representations he has received regarding the setting of lower council tax bands for residents of park homes.

Christopher Leslie: In the past 12 months, the Office of Deputy Prime Minister has received one letter from the British Holiday and Home Parks Association and a further nine letters from residents of park and mobile homes requesting a lower council tax band for such homes.
	The Association also sent in a response to last summer's consultation exercise on the draft Local Government Bill. Hon. Members also expressed views during recent stages of the Local Government Bill.

Housing Standards

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister 
	(1)  whether housing associations are obliged to stipulate that the sub-contractors are fully accredited and work to national standards;
	(2)  whether local government may ensure that housing association clients participate in the selection of building contractors chosen to perform work in their homes;
	(3)  what action (a) councils and (b) residents are able to take against sub-contractors of housing associations if their work is deemed substandard or unsafe.

Tony McNulty: Housing associations, like any independent businesses, are responsible for selecting building contractors to carry out work on their stock.
	The Housing Corporation's 'regulatory code' requires all housing associations to comply with statutory regulations and sets out probity and procurement policies relating to the selection of contractors and consultants by housing associations. The code also requires housing associations to take account of feedback from tenants on any aspect of the service they receive. In addition housing associations must aim to deliver continuous improvements and value for money in their services, using best value techniques.
	As with any services provided by housing associations, tenants may pursue complaints about work by sub-contractors through individual associations' formal complaints procedure, with recourse to the Independent Housing Ombudsman Service if they remain dissatisfied.

Local Authorities (Uncollected Debt)

Michael Foster: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the level of uncollected debt of each district council in England;
	(2)  what the average level of uncollected debt is for local authorities in England.

Christopher Leslie: Central Government do not collect comprehensive information on levels of uncollected local authority debt. It does, however, collect information on local authority rent arrears and business rate arrears.
	Local authority rent arrears in England are reported to have totalled about 560 million as at 31 March 2002. Of this, about 350 million were in respect of current tenants, with the remaining 210 million being owed by former tenants. Figures for individual local authorities, and totals for each class of authority, have been placed in the Library of the House.
	Arrears of business rates owed to local authorities in England are estimated to have totalled almost 800 million as at 31 March 2002. Figures for individual local authorities, and totals for each class of authority, have been placed in the Library of the House.
	Central government does not currently collect information on the level of community charge or council tax arrears owed to English local authorities. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister estimates, however, that arrears in England at 1 April 2001 totalled 185 million for community charge and 1,435 million for council tax. These estimates are based on information supplied to CIPFA on its revenue collection statistics return, and on information on amounts of community charge and council tax received, which central government collects from billing authorities on the QRC4 return.
	After discussions with local government we will, however, be collecting information from English billing authorities on the level of community charge and council tax arrears as at 31 March 2003 on the QRC4 return for 200203.
	In addition, local authorities have some other types of uncollected debt, such as uncollected fees and charges for services. Information on these is not collected by central government.

Local Government Finance

David Kidney: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the arrangements are for the review of the balance of funding for local government.

Nick Raynsford: As announced to the House on 20 January, the balance of funding review would begin in April and the terms of reference for the review were published. These set out the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's approach to the review, the sort of people we envisaged as being on the review's steering group and the proposed working methods, timing and outputs. A copy of the terms of reference of the review has been placed in the Library of the House and can also be found on the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister web-site at http://www.local.dtlr.gov.uk/finance/balance.htm. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister will be announcing very shortly the members of the steering group for the review and the date of the first meeting.

Millennium Dome

Nick Harvey: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the monthly running costs of the Millennium Dome were in the last six months.

Tony McNulty: Final cost figures are not yet available for the first two months of 2003, as English Partnerships are awaiting a number of outstanding invoices. However, the Dome costs* incurred for the six months up to December 2002 was 1.493 million. This is made up according to the following monthly breakdown:
	* Monthly costs include rates, utilities, security and maintenance, and English Partnerships' staff costs on management and maintenance of the Dome. Costs are calculated on an accruals basis and may be subject to reassessments, by the relevant authorities, of rates or other charges included in the cost of managing and maintaining the Dome.
	
		
		
			 Month Cost 
		
		
			 July 250,000 
			 August 245,000 
			 September 242,000 
			 October 241,000 
			 November 262,000 
			 December 253,000 
			 Total: 1,493,000 
		
	
	These costs, and other costs incurred by English Partnerships since they took ownership of the Dome on 1 July 2001, will be recovered from sale proceeds.

Millennium Dome

Nick Harvey: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of progress in handing over the Millennium Dome to Anschutz Entertainment Group; when he expects the handover to be completed; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: The deal to hand over the Dome to Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG) is primarily conditional upon the granting of planning permission. On 23 December 2002 Meridian Delta Ltd., jointly with English Partnership, AEG and Quintain Estates and Development, submitted a planning application to the London borough of Greenwich.
	The London borough of Greenwich is currently considering the application and will have to decide in due course whether to grant planning permission. If it is minded to do so, the application will be referred to the Mayor of London and the First Secretary of State under the normal planning procedures.
	As the application is going through the planning process I am unable to speculate on the likely timing of completing the deal and handing over the Dome to AEG.

Pay Costs

Archie Norman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the total pay costs incurred by (a) the Social Exclusion Unit, (b) the Neighbourhood Renewal Unit and (c) the Homelessness Directorate have been in each year since their creation.

Barbara Roche: Tabled is the total pay costs for the Social Exclusion Unit (SEU) for each year since its creation in 1997; the Homelessness Directorate since its creation in 2000 and the Neighbourhood Renewal Unit (NRU) since its creation in 2001. The figures for the years prior to 200102 are in cash terms. The figures for the year 200102 are on a resource basis.
	
		000
		
			 Year SEU Homelessness NRU 
		
		
			 199798 46   
			 199899 419   
			 19992000 810   
			 200001 1,146 1,055  
			 200102 1,367 984 2,395

Social Housing Grant

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what notice he gave to (a) housing associations and (b) local councils of his intentions to end the local authority housing grant; what consultations he held in each case; how many homes have been built by (i) housing associations and (ii) local councils using the grant since 1996; what estimate he has made of the effect of ending the grant on the provision of affordable homes for (A) key workers and (B) people on low incomes; and how many homes planned to be built will not now be built because of the ending of the grant.

Tony McNulty: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister consulted local authorities, the housing corporation, the national housing federation and other key figures in the housing world on the principle of abolishing local authority social housing grant (LASHG) last autumn. In the light of work on the Sustainable Communities: Building for the Future, we decided to make this reform quicklyprovided transitional funding arrangements were in place to ensure that well-advanced, good quality schemes were able to go ahead.
	Local authorities use registered social landlords (RSLs) as the vehicle for building homes with LASHG. They do not use this grant to develop units themselves. The following table shows the dwellings completed in each year by RSLs using the grant:
	Dwellings completed :
	199697: 9,609
	199798: 10,152
	199899: 9,929
	19992000: 8,678
	200001: 8,419
	200102: 6,971
	In my statement of 5 March I announced increased provision for transitional arrangements for LASHG. Transitional funding will now support investment in social housing of up to 550 million to 50 million more than we provided in 200203 from LASHG, and higher than in any previous year. The number of affordable homes to be built in 200304 using this funding will not be known until after 30 June 2003, which is the deadline for both with-debt and debt-free authorities to submit new schemes for 200304 to the housing corporation.
	As my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister announced on 5 February, the measures set out in the Sustainable Communities: Building for the Future will provide 5 billion for more affordable homes over the next three years, including at least l billion for key worker housing, much of which will be distributed following advice from the regional housing boards, in line with regional housing strategies.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Cuba

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the United Kingdom's relations with Cuba.

Mike O'Brien: The UK's bilateral relationship with Cuba is one of constructive engagement. HMG co-operates with Cuba in a number of areas including the fight against drug trafficking, HIV/AIDS, child protection and in science and sport. We share the EU goal of encouraging a process of transition to a pluralist democracy with respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms in Cuba. With our EU partners, we take every opportunity to make clear our concerns about human rights and the one-party system in Cuba. We have raised the recent arrests of dissidents with the Cuban authorities.

Departmental Creche Facilities

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what creche facilities are provided by his Department; and at what cost.

Mike O'Brien: The FCO nursery has now been open for 18 months and can take up to 36 children. Parents pay between 110-130 per week, depending on their grade and the age of the child. The subsidy is approximately 90,000 per annum, depending on the take-up of places and age of the children.
	The FCO is also an employer partner in the Buffer Bear network of nurseries, with access to 10 priority places on the waiting list. The cost of a place varies depending on, among other things, the location of the nursery. Staff are offered a subsidy of 20-40 per week depending on their grade. These nurseries are based at key commuter points and offer choice for parents who do not wish to bring their children into London.
	Staff are also eligible to use the Westminster holiday playscheme, which caters for 4 to12-year-olds during school holidays, at three sites in central London. The cost is 30 per day, which is split equally between the FCO and the parent. The subsidy for financial year 200203 will be in the region of 4,100. Places are offered on a first come, first served basis, which means the number of users varies each year.

Gibraltar

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Spanish Government since 1 January on sovereignty over Gibraltar; and if he will make a statement.

Jack Straw: I have had several discussions with my Spanish counterpart on a range of issues since 1 January 2003. None of these concentrated on Gibraltar.

Iran

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of women's rights in Iran; what recent representations he has made to the Iranian Government on women's rights; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: In Iran women make up over half the university intake, and are able to work, drive, and vote. There are 13 women MPs, a female Vice-President and many representatives on town and city councils. Nevertheless, we share the concerns expressed in the EU Council Conclusions of 19 March at the discrimination, in law and in practice, against women and girls in Iran. The head of the Iranian Judiciary has said there is a need to review the laws which deny women their rights. We encourage the efforts being made in Iran to have legislation passed which will permit Iran to ratify without reservations the UN Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women.

Iran

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the decision by the Iranian Government not to remove stoning from the Islamic Punishment Act; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: Although the Iranian Government have not removed stoning from the Iranian penal code we welcome their recent de facto moratorium on death sentences by stoning and hope that it is the first step towards the abolition of this practice. The British Government opposes the death penalty in all circumstances and urges all states to abolish the death penalty. Debate on such issues is growing in Iran and we and our EU partners continue to make clear our views to the Iranian Government at every suitable opportunity.

Nigeria

Alistair Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received concerning attacks upon Christians and animists by militant Muslims in the central and northern states of Nigeria, with particular reference to Plateau state; and what representations he will make to the Nigerian authorities concerning these attacks.

Bill Rammell: The British High Commission in Abuja systematically reports the violent clashes between Christian and Muslim communities in northern Nigeria, although we are not aware of attacks on animists.
	In July last year, a British Government team specialising in conflict prevention visited Plateau state to see what help the UK could offer. The team convened a round-table discussion for Christians and Muslims. We also support the efforts of Coventry Cathedral's Centre for Reconciliation, who have been trying to build trust between the religious communities in Kaduna over the last year. They plan to extend their work to Plateau State.
	As I told my hon. Friend, the Member for Stroud (Mr. Drew) on 22 January 2003, Official Report, column 357W, we remain in close touch with the Nigerian authorities on the issue of violence in northern Nigeria. Officials from the British High Commission in Abuja regularly visit the northern states, where the majority of religious violence takes place, and raise the matter of violence with the governors of the states concerned.

Nigeria

Alistair Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received concerning the declared aim of militant Muslims in Nigeria to have Sharia law imposed on a majority of the states, in order to mount a challenge to the country's constitution.

Bill Rammell: Some political commentators in Nigeria have claimed that militant Moslems in the north are working towards the adoption of Sharia law by a majority of states in the Federation, with the aim of eventually altering the constitution to make Nigeria an Islamic state. But there is no indication that the majority of Moslems in the country support these moves.

Plane Spotters

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many of the British plane spotters charged with espionage and associated charges have not received their bail money since they were acquitted in November 2002; what action the Foreign Office has taken to assist them in the return of this money; and what further action the Foreign Office plans to take.

Mike O'Brien: The 12 British plane spotters have not yet received their bail money but Greek legal procedures can be lengthy. We advised the plane spotters to instruct a lawyer to apply for the return of the bail money on their behalf. Our ambassador in Athens wrote to the Minister of Justice on 28 January 2003, asking for this procedure to be expedited, and is actively pursuing this. We will continue to offer the plane spotters all the consular assistance we properly can.

Rachel Corrie

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions his Department has had with (a) The US Government and (b) the Government of Israel about the death of Rachel Corrie; and if he will make representations to the Israeli Government about its treatment of foreign nationals attempting to prevent the destruction of Palestinian homes by Israeli forces.

Mike O'Brien: We continue to make clear our deep concerns about the treatment of all civilians in the Occupied Territories by the Israeli authorities. I raised my concerns about civilian deaths in the Occupied Territories, including that of Rachel Corrie, in a meeting with the Israeli Ambassador on 19 March. The indiscriminate use of force by the Israel Defence Forces only fuels the cycle of violence and makes a comprehensive settlement harder to reach. We have always recognised Israel's right to take steps to provide security for its citizens, but these actions must fall within the parameters of international law.
	Officials at the Consulate General in Jerusalem have discussed Rachel Corrie's death with their US counterparts.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Departmental Events

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will list the (a) conferences, (b) seminars, (c) workshops, (d) exhibitions and (e) press conferences which have been sponsored by her Department and which took place on non-departmental premises in the last 12 months, broken down by title, purpose, date and cost.

Kim Howells: Details of the events sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport that took place on non-departmental premises in the last 12 months are listed in the following table.
	
		
			 Title Purpose Date Cost (000) 
		
		
			 (a) Conferences
			 Building a sustainable heritage held at the Science Museum To raise awareness of the principles of sustainable development to the public through DCMS sectors 30 April 2002 7 
			 People and places launch To launch social inclusion policy for the built environmentheld at the Dulwich picture Gallery June 2002 1.1 
			 Golden Jubilee Faith Forum, St. James Palace To bring together young people of faith from across the UK to explore the practical dimension of faith and service to the community 910 June 2002 59 
			 DCMS Finance Conference at the British Museum To bring finance directors from the Departments non-departmental public bodies up to date on recent developments, share best practice and assist in networking 28 January 2003 2 
			 Building Tomorrow: Culture in Regeneration Conference at The Lowry A discussion between Ministers and key players about the role played by culture in the regeneration of urban and rural areas 25 February 2003 31.2 
			  
			 (b) Seminars 
			 Golden Jubilee seminars To brief local community and voluntary groups of events planned in Plymouth and Bristol 27 March 2002 0.8 
			 Accounting Officers Seminar, Tower of London To address a range of common strategic issues 13 May 2002 1.8 
			 Public libraries seminar To consult professionals on the Government's strategic framework for the public library service 18 June 2002 3.7 
			 Visual Arts seminar, London To discuss the structures and support required to assist the visual arts over the next 10 years 10 July 2002 0.3 
			 Exploiting the scientific research programmes of national museums seminar To raise awareness within Government of the scientific, research and educational work of the national museums 22 July 2002 0.3 
			 Creativity for wealth and welfare seminar To discuss the contribution creativity can make to wealth and welfare by participants from government, the academic world and others 26 September 2002 0.3 
			 Cultural leadership seminar at the Globe Theatre To discuss leadership and management issues with the cultural sector 16 October 2002 1.5 
			 Fresh Perspectives Seminar To raise awareness of core principles for involving children and young people among DCMS sectors 21 November 2002 4.2 
			 PE school sport and club links; open morning To update key stakeholders on the content and delivery of the Government's strategy for PE, school sport and club links 5 December 2002 1.6 
			 NDPB Chief Executives' Spring Seminar, London To address a range of common strategic issues 3 March 2003 7.2 
			 Implementing recommendations of the Coaching Task Force To consult with key stakeholders on the Government's proposals 10 March 2003 2.4 
			 Capital of Culture Event To acknowledge and celebrate the 12 cities short listed for the event 14 October 2002 7.6 
			  
			 (c) Workshops 
			 Creative Industries Networking Event, London To bring together a range of organisations from the creative industries to share best practice July 2002 6 
			 Informal Commonwealth Sports Ministers Meeting To discuss a range of relevant sports policy issues, including anti-doping, women in sport and sport and social cohesion 24 July 2002 35.5 
			 Developing a closer working relationship between the DCMS and local government Workshop to explore and develop opportunities for DCMS to engage more systematically with local government 7 October 2002 0.4 
			  
			 (d) Exhibitions(13)  
			 
			 (e) Press conferences 
			 Treasure Annual Report 2000 Launch at British Museum 14 August 2002 0 
		
	
	(13) None

Noise Pollution

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 
	(1)  what work her Department is undertaking to monitor and act against noise pollution from public houses;
	(2)  if she will list those organisations and individuals contracted to undertake research and analysis of noise pollution from public houses on her behalf; and when those contracts were agreed.

Kim Howells: DCMS does not monitor noise from public houses and has not contracted any organisations or individuals to undertake research and analysis of noise pollution from public houses. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is the lead Department for policy relating to the control of noise pollution and nuisance and my right hon. Friend the Minister for Rural Affairs and Urban Quality of Life answered questions on this subject on 13 January 2003, Official Report, column 375W, and 20 January 2003, Official Report, column 1045W.
	The Licensing Bill currently before the House of Commons will allow licensing authorities to attach conditions to premises licences and club premises certificates if they are necessary to address noise nuisance. Local residents and others will be able to make representations about applications for licences and certificates which they believe will lead to noise problems and to request reviews of licences and certificates where noise problems exist.

Regional Cultural Consortiums

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 14 March, Official Report, column 429W, on regional cultural consortiums, if she will estimate the administrative costs for each consortium for (a) January to April 2003 and (b) financial year 200304.

Richard Caborn: (a) Each consortium has the following funds available for the period January to April 2003.
	
		
			 Regional cultural consortium  
		
		
			 Eastern 87.116 
			 East Midlands 106,936 
			 North East 88,386 
			 North West 88,497 
			 South East 84,084 
			 South West 96,185 
			 West Midlands 95,543 
			 Yorkshire 86,656 
		
	
	It is not possible to detail the exact expenditure by each consortium for the period in question until the end of the period.
	(b) For the financial year 200304, each Consortium has a budget of 125,000 and will continue to receive support from staff based within the Government Offices in the regions. As stated in my answer of 14 March, the Regional Development Agencies and the various regional cultural agencies have all been encouraged to help with funding and other means of support.

Sports

Mr. Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what action she is taking to encourage the (a) Football Association, (b) Rugby Football Union, (c) Lawn Tennis Association and (d) England and Wales Cricket Board to (i) increase participation in their sports, (ii) increase participation in their sports by those of Asian origin and (iii) increase participation in their sports by those living in inner city areas; and if she will make a statement.

Richard Caborn: Sport's governing bodies are essential to the Government's plans to increase levels of sporting participation.
	(i) 40 million in new Lottery funding has recently been made available to national governing bodies to improve their mechanisms for delivering improvements in participation levels. In addition, the Government has taken steps to assist governing-body affiliated, and other, Community Amateur Sports Clubs in offering opportunities for people of all ages to participate in healthy recreation. DCMS worked closely with the Charity Commission on the revised guidance issued in March 2002, which will make many more local clubs are eligible for the financial benefits of charitable status;
	(ii) The Government have worked closely with the Football Association, the Rugby Football Union, the Lawn Tennis Association and the England and Wales Cricket Board increase participation among Asian people. I fully support the efforts of these governing bodies in this area, which include FA projects in Leicester and elsewhere, the RFU's social inclusion programmes including its work at the Islamic High School for Girls in Central Manchester, the LTA's inner city tennis projects and the ECB's Racial Equality Intermediate Level Award-approved coaching projects;
	(iii) all four of these governing bodies run sporting access schemes for children in inner urban areas, which complement Sport England's Sport Action Zones initiative in some of the most socially and economically deprived areas of the country. The Government will be investing 60 million over the three years from 200304 through the Community Clubs Investment Programme, the focus of which will be on increasing participation levels in deprived areas and among disadvantaged groups. The Government have funded additional and complementary sporting initiatives in deprived areas through the Positive Futures and Splash projects.

Sports Facilities (Refurbishment)

Mr. Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many public sports facilities in (a) Harrow, (b) London and (c) England are in need of refurbishment; and if she will make a statement.

Richard Caborn: Figures on the number of public sports facilities in Harrow, London and England, which are in need of refurbishment are not available. Local authorities are the key providers of sport and recreation facilities in their areas and significant investment from the National Lottery has helped to create new state of the art community facilities. DCMS, in partnership with Sport England is developing an England-wide database of sports facilities, which will enable more strategic Government investment in those areas and facilities that are most important.

LORD CHANCELLOR

International Law

John Stanley: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what steps the Government is taking to encourage states who have acceded to the Hague conventions also to become members of the Hague Conference on Private International Law.

Rosie Winterton: I apologise for my late reply, which is due to an administrative error. As part of its consistent support for the Hague Conference, the Government has encouraged the rapid and recent world-wide expansion of the Conference's membership; in particular, it routinely endorses applications to join from individual countries. In 2000 my right hon. and learned Friend the Lord Chancellor wrote to the Ministers of Justice in South Africa, New Zealand and India to advocate membership of the conference; the first two of these countries have subsequently joined. He will continue to promote the advantages of membership on his visits to countries which have yet to join.

Judgment Debtors

Christopher Chope: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will make it the policy of the Government to allow postal service of form N39 requiring a judgment debtor to attend an oral examination at the county court.

Yvette Cooper: No. The order must be served on the debtor personally and the creditor must file an affidavit by the person who served the order giving details of how and when it was served. This is because non-attendance at court by the debtor may be treated as contempt of court and result in his imprisonment.

Not-for-profit Agencies

Doug Naysmith: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if the Lord Chancellor will ensure that Legal Services Commission funding for not-for-profit agencies continues to guarantee RPI increases in salary scales; and if he will make a statement.

Paddy Tipping: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what inflation increase has been awarded to not-for-profit agencies providing general civil contracts from 1 April 2003; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: From April 2003, not for profit organisations offering legal services as part of the community legal service will be issued with a replacement contract by the Legal Services Commission (LSC). The new 'Not for Profit Contract', in common with the contract for solicitors, contains no guarantee of annual remuneration increases. However, my Department and the LSC are monitoring actively the provider base in all areas of law and will consider as matters develop whether measures to enhance remuneration rates are possible within available resources.
	My right hon. and Learned Friend the Lord Chancellor and I recognise that people working in not for profit organisations are dedicated, efficient and caring individuals, providing important services to the socially excluded and disadvantaged, for rates of remuneration that will inevitably fall short of what they can earn in the private sector. However, our scope for improving the position with regard to remuneration is limited by resource constraints.

PRIVY COUNCIL

External Reports

Francis Maude: To ask the President of the Council if he will list (a) the title and subject, (b) the total cost to his Department and (c) the commissioned author or organisation of each external report commissioned by his Department in each year since 1997.

Ben Bradshaw: My Department has not commissioned any external reports from 2000 to date. The additional information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Benefit Payment Methods

David Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the use of the (a) post office card account, (b) basic bank account and (c) direct payment into personal bank account of pensions and benefits in (i) 200304, (ii) 200405 and (iii) 200506.

Malcolm Wicks: At the start of the main move to direct payment in April 2003, there will be some 13 million benefit recipients paid by order book or giro.
	At present 85 per cent. of our customers (including 90 per cent. of pensioners) already have access to a suitable account for direct payment and we expect the majority of our customers will choose to use that account. For this reason our operating assumption is that about three million customers will open a post office card account.

Benefit Payment Methods

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners draw their benefits at (a) post offices and (b) banks or building societies in the Havant constituency.

Malcolm Wicks: Some customers who are paid direct into an account can also collect their benefit in cash at post offices through network banking arrangements at the post office. There is no data available on the number of benefit claims collected in this way. Girocheques can be cashed either over-the-counter at a post office or through a bank account. For the purposes of this answer, girocheques have been treated as an over-the-counter method of payment.
	Figures have been compiled from those living in the Havant constituency from the data available on the 25 January 2003, and will include an overlap where some pensioners are receiving some benefits at the post office and some into a bank or building society. The number of pensioners in the Havant constituency are shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Number of pensioners 
		
		
			 Total pensioners receiving benefit 20,032 
			 Drawing benefits solely at a post office 8,410 
			 Benefits solely paid direct into a bank or building society 10,832 
			 Pensioners on more than one benefit, paid by combination of post office and direct into a bank or building society 790

Benefit Payment Methods

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners in the Northavon constituency collect benefits from post offices; and how many have migrated from over-the-counter payments to direct bank transfers in the last 12 weeks.

Malcolm Wicks: From data available at 25 January 2003 the number of pensioners in the Northavon constituency that collect benefits from post offices is approximately 8,300.
	The information is not available in the format requested for the second part of the question.
	A comparison of the data available at 25 January 2003 with the same records available at 2 November 2002 indicates that just over 50 pensioners have migrated at least one benefit from payments at a post office to payments directly into a bank or building society account. These figures will be influenced by people who may have moved away from, or into the area during the period of the comparison.

Benefit-based Statistics

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what impact he expects the move from benefit-based statistics to ones focused on client groups will have on the information available via written parliamentary questions.

Andrew Smith: The move away from publishing individual benefit statistics towards a greater focus on client group based releases will have no effect on the information available via written parliamentary questions.

Company Pension Funds

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many company pension funds have been (a) closed and (b) closed to new entrants in each of the last five years.

Ian McCartney: Information on pension schemes is held by the Pension Schemes Registry that is maintained by the Occupational Pensions Regulatory Authority. Some data on the number of occupational pension schemes recorded by the Registry are provided in the table. The figures relate to the position as at 19 March 2003.
	
		Number of occupational pension schemes recorded by the Pensions Scheme Registry(14)
		
			  Closed(15) Frozen(16) Winding up(17) Wound up(18) 
		
		
			 1 April 1998 to 31 March 1999 243 297 154 7,427 
			 1 April 1999 to 31 March 2000 286 425 4,521 8,185 
			 1 April 2000 to 31 March 2001 341 555 1,702 6,119 
			 1 April 2001 to 31 March 2002 525 558 2,206 4,731 
			 1 April 2002 to 19 March 2003 414 658 1,471 3,599 
		
	
	(14) The Pension Schemes Registry (PSR) is not designed or intended to provide a comprehensive or continuous statistical record of the status of schemes. The PSR registers schemes for tracing purposes and collects the levy from pension schemes, including those in the process of winding up. New scheme data is being reported to the PSR on a continuous basis. Therefore, the figures are subject to continuous revision. When a scheme has changed status, the previous status of the scheme is not recorded on the registry. Schemes have up to 12 months to notify OPRA of any status change so the data for the current year are particularly provisional. The data in the table do not include any schemes that may have changed their benefit type (money purchase, salary related or hybrid) but not their status code (open, closed, frozen, winding up, or wound up).
	(15) A closed scheme is a registerable scheme to which no new members may be admitted, but existing members can continue to make contributions and accrue benefits.
	(16) A frozen scheme is a registerable scheme under which benefits continue to be payable to existing members, and to which no new members may be admitted, no further contributions can be made by existing members, and no further benefits accrue to existing members (although benefits which have already accrued to them may be increased).
	(17) A winding up scheme is one which has notified OPRA that it has commenced winding up procedures.
	(18) A wound up scheme is one which has notified OPRA that it has completed winding up procedures.
	Note:
	The data in the table relate to private sector occupational pension schemes. In addition to data on occupational schemes, the registry also collects data on personal pension and public sector schemes. These schemes are not included in the table.
	Source:
	OPRA.

Parliamentary Questions

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when the hon. Member for Sutton and Cheam will receive replies to his questions (a) 101909 and (b) 97567.

Maria Eagle: Replies were given to the hon. Member on 25 March 2003.

Construction Industry

Marion Roe: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will require statutory bodies that place orders with the construction industry for the improvement of public services to be required to ensure through main contractors that all sub- and specialist-contractors hold employers' liability compulsory insurance.

Nick Brown: The Department for Work and Pensions maintains standard clauses in contracts with its direct contractors to ensure that required insurance policies, including employers' liability compulsory insurance, are taken out and maintained.
	The Department does not have any specific procedures to ensure that main contractors in the construction industry working for statutory bodies also ensure that all their specialist and sub-contractors have the required insurance policies in place. However there is a general requirement on all suppliers specified within the contracting arrangements to ensure that they meet all their legal obligations in this area.
	We will consider the introduction of specific procedures within the context of the review of employers' liability compulsory insurance.

Departmental Staff (Pension Age)

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many (a) male and (b) female employees of his Department, its predecessor and its executive agencies have been over state pension age in each year since 1997.

Ian McCartney: The information for men aged 65 and over and women aged 60 and over working in the Department is in the following table.
	
		
			   Department of Social Security  Employment Service  Department for Work and Pensions 
			 Date Male Female Male Female Male Female 
		
		
			 31 December 1997 0 746 0 62   
			 31 December 1998 0 654 1 81   
			 31 December 1999 1 431 0 84   
			 31 December 2000 1 426 0 121   
			 31 December 2001 3 700 
			 31 December 2002 0 1,214 
			 20 March 2003 0 1,132 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Figures reflect the numbers of staff in post at the specified dates and include staff who have been over state pension age during the year.
	2. Figures from 31 December 2001 reflect the position in the Department for Work and Pensions following the Machinery of Government changes effective from June 2001.

Older People

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many older people live in fuel poverty.

Ian McCartney: The English House Condition Survey of 2001 shows that between 1996 and 2001 the number of households with at least one person over age 60 in fuel poverty, after taking all income into account, fell by over 50 per cent. The figures fell from just over two million to around 940,000.
	This change is due to a number of measures introduced by this Government including changes in income, lower fuel prices and installation of energy efficiency measures.
	The minimum income guarantee, introduced in April 1999, has boosted the income of the poorest pensioners and means that, from April, no single pensioner will need to live on less than 102.10 a week (155.80 for couples). In 200304, the Government will spend an extra 7.5 billion a year on pensioners as a result of policies introduced since 1997. This includes 3.5 billion more on the poorest third of pensionersalmost six times more than an earnings-link in the basic state pension since 1998 would have given them.
	Most people aged 60 and over are entitled to a winter fuel payment of up to 200. More than 11 million people aged 60 and over receive payments, totalling 1.7 billion.
	Overall, prices for all fuel and light for domestic customers fell by 13 per cent in real terms between 1997 and 2002.
	VAT on fuel was reduced shortly after we came to office.
	500,000 private sector householdsmany of them pensionershave been assisted with energy efficiency measures through the home energy efficiency scheme, which is marketed as Warm Front.

Parents with Care (Child Support)

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many parents with care entitled to child support received (a) no child support and (b) less than they should be receiving in the last year for which figures are available; and what the total of unpaid child support arrears was.

Malcolm Wicks: The administration for the Child Support Agency is a matter for the chief executive, Mr. Doug Smith. He will write to the hon. Member.
	Letter from Doug Smith to Mr. Andrew Selous, dated 27 March, 2003
	The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in replying to your recent parliamentary question about the Child Support Agency promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.
	You ask how many parents with care entitled to child support received (a) no child support and (b) less than they should be receiving in the last year for which figures are available; and what the total of unpaid child support arrears was.
	In the year to 30 November 2002 I estimate that 384,000 parents with care were entitled to receive child maintenance following an assessment made by this Agency. Of those 79,000 received no payment and 193,000 received less than they were entitled to.
	In the same period I estimate that 790 million in child support was charged in relation to full maintenance assessments. Of this around 250 million was not paid.
	We have now started to implement the new child support arrangements legislated in the Child Support, Pensions and Social Security Act 2000. These will facilitate an improvement in the number of parents with care who receive their maintenance entitlement on a regular basis.

Pension (Part-time Workers)

David Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what timescale he has proposed to settle the outstanding public sector part-time workers' pension cases.

Ian McCartney: No general time-scale has been proposed for such a settlement. That is a matter for the individual schemes and employers concerned.
	A number of outstanding issues remain in respect of public sector schemes. Practical arrangements for a settlement in relation to public sector schemes are to be the subject of a case management hearing before the London Employment Tribunal at the end of March.

Pension Provision

David Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many working age people are in work; how many employees there are; how many people are self-employed; how many are covered by a state second pension; how many have a private pension; and how many have no private pension in 200203.

Ian McCartney: The working age population is 34.2 million. There are 25.5 million people in work, of which 22.6 million are employees and 2.9 million are self-employed.
	Of the total working age population of 34.2 million, approximately 25.6 million people are accruing rights to the state second pension or a contracted-out equivalent. This includes people receiving credits due to caring responsibilities or disability.
	There are 14.7 million people of working age currently making contributions to a private pension, and 19.5 million people of working age not making contributions to a private pension.
	These estimates are based on the Family Resources Survey 200102.

Pension Provision

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people who are accruing entitlement to the basic state pension, including effective accrual through home responsibilities protection, are not accruing entitlement to the state second pension or a funded pension through contracting-out arrangements.

Ian McCartney: We estimate that approximately 5 million people of working age are accruing rights to the basic state pension but not accruing rights to the state second pension or a contracted-out equivalent.
	All sources of credits for both the basic state pension and state second pension have been included to determine which people are accruing future pension rights.
	Source:
	The figure of 5 million was calculated using information on individual characteristics from the Family Resources Survey 200102.

Pensioner Households

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioner households in which the benefit recipient or their partner is (a) over 60 and (b) over 75 are in receipt of (i) an amount of council tax benefit and (ii) full council tax benefit.

Ian McCartney: The information is shown in the following table:
	
		CTB claimant and/or partner over 60 and over 75 with full/partial benefit, Great BritainMay 2001
		
			  Over 60(19) Over 75(20) 
		
		
			 All CTB recipients 2,345,000 1,170,000 
			 Partial CTB 685,000 304,000 
			 Full CTB 1,660,000 867,000 
		
	
	(19) 'Over 60' refers to benefit units where the claimant and/or partner are aged over 60 (ie aged 61 and over).
	(20) 'Over 75' refers to benefit units where the claimant and/or partner are aged over 75 (ie aged 76 and over).
	Source
	Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit Management Information System, Annual one per cent. sample, taken in May 2001.

Pension Credit

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will place a copy of the Regulatory Impact Assessment for the Pension Credit in the Library; and if he will make a statement.

Ian McCartney: A summary of the Pension Credit Regulatory Impact Assessment can be found at paragraphs 18384 of the Explanatory Notes to the State Pension Credit Bill as brought from the House of Lords on 25 February 2002, a copy of which is in the Library. The proposals are expected to have a minimal impact on business.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

ADHD

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  how many schoolchildren there are with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in (a) the Jarrow constituency, (b) south Tyneside, (c) north-east and (d) England;
	(2)  what procedures are in place to identify schoolchildren with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder;
	(3)  what measures have been introduced to help schoolchildren with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

Ivan Lewis: Information on the number of schoolchildren with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is not collected centrally. From January 2004 the Department will be collecting data on SEN by type of need. This will include children with Behavioural, Emotional and Social Difficulties, but will not contain a separate category for ADHD.
	All schools and local education authorities have statutory duties to identify, assess and make suitable provision for children with SEN, which includes those pupils with behavioural difficulties and ADHD. The SEN Code of Practice provides practical advice to schools and Early Years settings to help them carry out these duties. It recommends a graduated, school-based approach to meet the needs of children with SEN, and specifically offers a range of interventions for schools to use in supporting pupils who are hyperactive and lack concentration.
	Children with ADHD normally receive help and support from within the spectrum of child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) which range from primary care, including school and social services interventions, to specialist and inpatient services. Child and adolescent psychiatrists, and increasingly paediatricians, provide specialist diagnostic and treatment services for children with ADHD, supported by members of multidisciplinary teams. The joint DfES/DH good practice guidance for schools Supporting Pupils With Medical Needs gives advice to schools and LEAs on supporting pupils with medical needs, including those who may be prescribed medication for ADHD.

Educational Psychologists

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  how many educational psychologist training scheme places were available in each of the last five years; and how many were taken up;
	(2)  how many qualified educational psychologists there were in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement on the extent to which the need for qualified educational psychologists has been met in each of the last five years.

Ivan Lewis: Information on the number of places available under the grant scheme for the training of educational psychologists, and the take-up of such places, is not collected centrally.
	The latest available information on the number of qualified educational psychologists employed by local education authorities in England is given in the following table:
	
		
			 EPs (full-timeequivalent) 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 
		
		
			 In Post 1,729.1 1,817.5 1,866.2 1,883.9 1,944.8 
			 On secondment 59.0 49.0 62.5 70.5 74.9 
			 Total 1,788.1 1,866.5 1,928.7 1,954.4 2,019.7 
		
	
	Decisions on the recruitment, retention and deployment of educational psychologists are matters for LEAs, as employers, to determine in light of local circumstances and available resources.
	The Department is facilitating on-going discussions involving a range of partners, including representatives of the Local Government Association, on developing a new shorter entry training route for educational psychologists. It has been agreed that, subject to the outcome of an implementation study, and the necessary funding being secured, the partners will work towards an implementation date for the new arrangements of September 2005.

External Reports

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will list (a) the title and subject, (b) the total cost to his Department and (c) the commissioned author or organisation of each external report commissioned by his Department in each year since 1997.

Charles Clarke: Full details of the external research commissioned by the Department between 1997 and 2001 are presented in the Department's Annual Report on Research (1997, 1998 and 1999) and Report of the DfES Research Conference 2001. Copies are available in the House of Commons Library. Details for 20022003 have also been placed in the Library.
	Information for 20022003 includes ongoing projects. Results from these projects will not yet be publicly available. Results of the Department's externally commissioned work are routinely published in line with the requirements of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.
	In addition to its research programme, the Department commissions a wide variety of external experts and independent bodies to help officials and others deliver its objectives. These include study materials for teachers, good practice guides and discussion papers. Information on these is not held centrally and therefore cannot be supplied on the grounds of disproportionate cost.

Investors in People

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will encourage companies with Investors in People status to develop links with schools; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Twigg: We welcome the involvement of business in education. We are therefore keen to encourage companies with Investors in People status to develop links with schools. We want schools and businesses to work together to help us in our drive to raise standards of achievement for all children; develop an understanding of the world of work and improve employability; acquire knowledge, skills and attitudes about enterprise capability; financial literary and economic and business understanding.
	Education business links activities help increase motivation and attendance, and underpins, and put in context what is taught in the classroom; and prepare young people more effectively for adulthood and their working life.

Local Education Authority Finance

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the funding per pupil was for (a) 510 year olds and (b) 1115 year olds for each local education authority in England in each year since 1997.

David Miliband: The following table contains the information required. The figures include funding through the Education Standard Spending Assessment and grants and are expressed in real terms.
	Comparable figures for 200304 are not yet available.
	
		Group: Aged 510; as at 25 March 2003; Funds: Total funding; Price base: Real terms 200102; Actual/Rounded: Rounded --  million/pp:  per pupil
		
			  199798 199899 19992000 200001 200102 200203 
		
		
			 201 City of London 3,390 3,390 3,730 3,950 4,050 4,490 
			 202 Camden 3,330 3,420 3,660 4,050 4,450 4,650 
			 203 Greenwich 3,140 3,240 3,450 3,830 4,110 4,230 
			 204 Hackney 3,550 3,620 3,840 4,160 4,430 4,630 
			 205 Hammersmith and Fulham 3,300 3,400 3,610 3,970 4,340 4,630 
			 206 Islington 3,350 3,450 3,650 4,050 4,430 4,570 
			 207 Kensington and Chelsea 3,030 3,300 3,590 3,970 4,420 4,820 
			 208 Lambeth 3,450 3,600 3,840 4,130 4,390 4,590 
			 209 Lewisham 3,280 3,380 3,550 3,860 4,170 4,330 
			 210 Southwark 3,380 3,480 3,700 3,980 4,270 4,460 
			 211 Tower Hamlets 3,590 3,670 3,890 4,250 4,640 4,870 
			 212 Wandsworth 3,110 3,160 3,380 3,660 3,980 4,050 
			 213 Westminster 3,120 3,270 3,520 3,900 4,210 4,480 
			 301 Barking and Dagenham 2,740 2,810 2,920 3,150 3,420 3,580 
			 302 Barnet 2,560 2,640 2,770 2,920 3,230 3,350 
			 303 Bexley 2,460 2,540 2,650 2,810 3,040 3,150 
			 304 Brent 2,950 3,040 3,170 3,350 3,690 3,850 
			 305 Bromley 2,420 2,490 2,640 2,830 3,050 3,140 
			 306 Croydon 2,630 2,720 2,850 3,030 3,250 3,370 
			 307 Ealing 2,770 2,850 2,990 3,220 3,530 3,620 
			 308 Enfield 2,680 2,740 2,870 3,070 3,380 3,540 
			 309 Haringey 3,090 3,160 3,330 3,610 3,950 4,110 
			 310 Harrow 2,520 2,590 2,690 2,890 3,110 3,250 
			 311 Havering 2,430 2,490 2,580 2,760 3,000 3,100 
			 312 Hillingdon 2,510 2,610 2,770 2,920 3,140 3,270 
			 313 Hounslow 2,730 2,800 2,950 3,160 3,450 3,660 
			 314 Kingston upon Thames 2,420 2,490 2,620 2,850 3,110 3,210 
			 315 Merton 2,590 2,660 2,780 3,010 3,320 3,370 
			 316 Newham 3,070 3,200 3,370 3,640 3,960 4,080 
			 317 Redbridge 2,600 2,670 2,770 2,970 3,210 3,310 
			 318 Richmond upon Thames 2,370 2,450 2,570 2,770 2,990 3,070 
			 319 Sutton 2,470 2,550 2,680 2,850 3,080 3,180 
			 320 Waltham Forest 2,860 2,940 3,090 3,340 3,660 3,790 
			 330 Birmingham 2,500 2,580 2,750 3,040 3,320 3,410 
			 331 Coventry 2,390 2,470 2,590 2,850 3,030 3,120 
			 332 Dudley 2,180 2,240 2,360 2,550 2,720 2,820 
			 333 Sandwell 2,390 2,490 2,660 2,850 3,080 3,210 
			 334 Solihull 2,200 2,270 2,390 2,590 2,770 2,850 
			 335 Walsall 2,320 2,380 2,520 2,750 2,940 3,040 
			 336 Wolverhampton 2,410 2,480 2,650 2,870 3,100 3,300 
			 340 Knowsley 2,660 2,710 2,880 3,230 3,550 3,640 
			 341 Liverpool 2,570 2,660 2,830 3,220 3,500 3,610 
			 342 St. Helens 2,290 2,350 2,480 2,720 3,010 3,100 
			 343 Sefton 2,280 2,350 2,490 2,740 2,990 3,100 
			 344 Wirral 2,350 2,420 2,550 2,810 3,070 3,190 
			 350 Bolton 2,280 2,350 2,510 2,760 2,920 3,030 
			 351 Bury 2,200 2,290 2,440 2,630 2,810 2,910 
			 352 Manchester 2,640 2,740 2,940 3,320 3,610 3,710 
			 353 Oldham 2,350 2,420 2,560 2,800 3,010 3,190 
			 354 Rochdale 2,370 2,440 2,580 2,850 3,070 3,240 
			 355 Salford 2,390 2,470 2,650 2,970 3,260 3,330 
			 356 Stockport 2,180 2,240 2,380 2,590 2,760 2,840 
			 357 Tameside 2,260 2,340 2,470 2,680 2,920 3,020 
			 358 Trafford 2,230 2,300 2,440 2,650 2,860 2,910 
			 359 Wigan 2,220 2,290 2,440 2,650 2,850 2,920 
			 370 Barnsley 2,290 2,370 2,530 2,740 2,960 3,060 
			 371 Doncaster 2,360 2,430 2,580 2,800 3,000 3,110 
			 372 Rotherham 2,280 2,360 2,530 2,830 3,080 3,150 
			 373 Sheffield 2,310 2,390 2,570 2,870 3,100 3,200 
			 380 Bradford 2,410 2,480 2,660 2,960 3,240 3,290 
			 381 Calderdale 2,290 2,370 2,530 2,750 2,950 3,040 
			 382 Kirklees 2,320 2,400 2,550 2,750 2,970 3,070 
			 383 Leeds 2,290 2,360 2,510 2,790 3,040 3,150 
			 384 Wakefield 2,230 2,290 2,440 2,680 2,870 2,960 
			 390 Gateshead 2,330 2,390 2,550 2,830 3,100 3,180 
			 391 Newcastle upon Tyne 2,450 2,560 2,710 3,000 3,280 3,370 
			 392 North Tyneside 2,270 2,330 2,460 2,710 2,940 3,070 
			 393 South Tyneside 2,380 2,470 2,620 2,900 3,190 3,270 
			 394 Sunderland 2,330 2,400 2,530 2,790 3,060 3,150 
			 420 Isles of Scilly 4,110 4,320 4,760 5,140 5,700 7,230 
			 800 Bath and North East Somerset 2,150 2,230 2,400 2,600 2,760 2,820 
			 801 Bristol, City of 2,340 2,410 2,540 2,790 3,000 3,120 
			 802 North Somerset 2,180 2,270 2,430 2,630 2,770 2,860 
			 803 South Gloucestershire 2,140 2,210 2,360 2,520 2,660 2,720 
			 805 Hartlepool 2,350 2,420 2,570 2,810 3,050 3,150 
			 806 Middlesbrough 2,450 2,560 2,720 2,960 3,250 3,380 
			 807 Redcar and Cleveland 2,360 2,430 2,560 2,840 3,110 3,200 
			 808 Stockton-on-Tees 2,310 2,370 2,530 2,820 3,100 3,210 
			 810 Kingston Upon Hull, City of 2,410 2,490 2,650 2,920 3,150 3,260 
			 811 East Riding of Yorkshire 2,200 2,270 2,420 2,650 2,820 2,890 
			 812 North East Lincolnshire 2,320 2,410 2,570 2,810 3,010 3,110 
			 813 North Lincolnshire 2,280 2,390 2,560 2,780 2,930 3,000 
			 815 North Yorkshire 2,250 2,320 2,470 2,700 2,880 2,960 
			 816 York 2,190 2,270 2,420 2,650 2,800 2,850 
			 820 Bedfordshire 2,300 2,370 2,500 2,730 2,930 3,030 
			 821 Luton 2,500 2,580 2,710 2,930 3,150 3,310 
			 825 Buckinghamshire 2,310 2,380 2,540 2,730 2,930 3,040 
			 826 Milton Keynes 2,380 2,450 2,590 2,790 2,990 3,120 
			 830 Derbyshire 2,190 2,260 2,410 2,620 2,800 2,890 
			 831 Derby 2,320 2,420 2,600 2,790 2,970 3,100 
			 835 Dorset 2,200 2,270 2,420 2,620 2,780 2,860 
			 836 Poole 2,170 2,230 2,350 2,530 2,690 2,770 
			 837 Bournemouth 2,280 2,340 2,460 2,690 2,840 2,900 
			 840 Durham 2,290 2,370 2,530 2,780 3,050 3,110 
			 841 Darlington 2,290 2,350 2,500 2,740 2,930 3,000 
			 845 East Sussex 2,340 2,430 2,570 2,810 2,990 3,080 
			 846 Brighton and Hove 2,430 2,520 2,670 2,930 3,140 3,220 
			 850 Hampshire 2,240 2,310 2,420 2,610 2,810 2,900 
			 851 Portsmouth 2,410 2,490 2,600 2,790 3,050 3,150 
			 852 Southampton 2,430 2,510 2,620 2,820 3,070 3,150 
			 855 Leicestershire 2,140 2,200 2,330 2,510 2,660 2,730 
			 856 Leicester 2,460 2,560 2,720 2,950 3,170 3,310 
			 857 Rutland 2,170 2,250 2,450 2,660 2,900 2,980 
			 860 Staffordshire 2,170 2,220 2,350 2,550 2,710 2,790 
			 861 Stoke-on-Trent 2,290 2,350 2,490 2,780 3,050 3,200 
			 865 Wiltshire 2,220 2,290 2,440 2,630 2,780 2,860 
			 866 Swindon 2,210 2,270 2,410 2,600 2,760 2,840 
			 867 Bracknell Forest 2,340 2,430 2,530 2,720 2,910 3,030 
			 868 Windsor and Maidenhead 2,340 2,430 2,560 2,780 3,000 3,110 
			 869 West Berkshire 2,230 2,330 2,460 2,710 2,910 2,990 
			 870 Reading 2,400 2,480 2,610 2,860 3,060 3,230 
			 871 Slough 2,720 2,850 3,010 3,200 3,450 3,640 
			 872 Wokingham 2,140 2,210 2,310 2,510 2,710 2,790 
			 873 Cambridgeshire 2,220 2,290 2,450 2,640 2,790 2,860 
			 874 Peterborough 2,350 2,430 2,600 2,800 2,970 3,090 
			 875 Cheshire 2,190 2,250 2,380 2,590 2,760 2,830 
			 876 Halton 2,380 2,440 2,590 2,880 3,160 3,260 
			 877 Warrington 2,180 2,240 2,340 2,540 2,730 2,800 
			 878 Devon 2,270 2,360 2,490 2,680 2,840 2,930 
			 879 Plymouth 2,290 2,380 2,540 2,750 2,900 3,000 
			 880 Torbay 2,310 2,350 2,500 2,710 2,880 2,950 
			 881 Essex 2,340 2,420 2,550 2,760 2,960 3,050 
			 882 Southend-on-Sea 2,380 2,450 2,600 2,830 3,060 3,160 
			 883 Thurrock 2,490 2,570 2,700 2,890 3,100 3,240 
			 884 Herefordshire 2,290 2,390 2,550 2,750 2,900 3,000 
			 885 Worcestershire 2,190 2,240 2,370 2,560 2,740 2,820 
			 886 Kent 2,350 2,420 2,540 2,750 2,950 3,040 
			 887 Medway 2,330 2,400 2,530 2,730 2,930 3,020 
			 888 Lancashire 2,270 2,340 2,480 2,700 2,890 2,970 
			 889 Blackburn with Darwin 2,430 2,540 2,740 2,980 3,230 3,310 
			 890 Blackpool 2,280 2,370 2,510 2,740 2,900 3,040 
			 891 Nottinghamshire 2,200 2,260 2,400 2,630 2,790 2,870 
			 892 Nottingham 2,520 2,610 2,780 3,030 3,290 3,440 
			 893 Shropshire 2,240 2,290 2,440 2,650 2,830 2,930 
			 894 Telford and Wrekin 2,310 2,370 2,530 2,760 2,960 3,000 
			 908 Cornwall 2,310 2,370 2,520 2,730 2,920 3,000 
			 909 Cumbria 2,270 2,330 2,490 2,730 2,930 3,010 
			 916 Gloucestershire 2,210 2,270 2,420 2,650 2,810 2,880 
			 919 Hertfordshire 2,390 2,460 2,580 2,790 2,990 3,080 
			 921 Isle of Wight 2,440 2,520 2,650 2,890 3,070 3,170 
			 925 Lincolnshire 2,280 2,340 2,480 2,680 2,870 2,970 
			 926 Norfolk 2,290 2,360 2,510 2,740 2,940 3,040 
			 928 Northamptonshire 2,240 2,300 2,430 2,630 2,790 2,870 
			 929 Northumberland 2,270 2,340 2,480 2,690 2,920 2,970 
			 931 Oxfordshire 2,300 2,390 2,530 2,730 2,900 3,010 
			 933 Somerset 2,240 2,300 2,440 2,650 2,810 2,900 
			 935 Suffolk 2,220 2,290 2,410 2,600 2,760 2,850 
			 936 Surrey 2,350 2,420 2,540 2,730 2,920 3,010 
			 937 Warwickshire 2,190 2,260 2,400 2,590 2,770 2,860 
			 938 West Sussex 2,290 2,360 2,470 2,660 2,850 2,950 
		
	
	Notes:
	Coverage:
	Figures reflect education SSA settlement figures (primary sub-block), plus all revenue grants in DfES's Departmental Expenditure Limits relevant to pupils aged 510 (excluding EMA and a handful of others where it is not possible to get figures on a comparable basis over time).
	The pupil numbers used to convert  million figures to  per pupil are the maintained pupils underlying the SSA settlement calculations.
	199798 figures for LEAs subject to Local Government Reorganisation in that year have been estimated, pro-rata to their post LGR figures.
	Status:
	200203 figures are provisional.
	Price Base:
	Real terms, 200102 prices, based on GDP deflators as at December 2002
	Rounding:
	Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. Totals may not sum due to rounding.

Ministerial Visits (Scotland)

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many times he has visited Scotland on official duties each year since 2000; and what meetings were held on each occasion.

Charles Clarke: Since I became Secretary of State on 24 October 2002, I have visited Scotland once on 14 February 2003. While I was there I conducted a range of visits including a meeting with Cathy Jamieson MSP, Minister for Education and Young People, a tour of the Student Loan Company's offices and a meeting with Colin Ward, Chief Executive of the Student Loan Company.

Pension Schemes

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will list the (a) funded and (b) unfunded public sector pension schemes for which his Department, its agencies and its non-departmental public bodies are responsible; when the last actuarial valuation was of each scheme; what the value was of the assets at the last actuarial valuation of each scheme; what deficit is disclosed by the last actuarial valuation of each scheme; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: The only public service pension scheme for which this Department has responsibility is the unfunded Teachers' Pension Scheme. The Government Actuary has recently produced his report on the valuation of the scheme as at 31 March 2001. As part of changes made to the long term funding arrangements of the scheme, the values of both the assets and liabilities were determined at that date to be 142,880 million. As a result, the scheme has no deficit. A copy of the Government Actuary's report is available from the Library.

School Buildings

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much money has been allocated for (a) capital repairs and (b) new buildings in (i) primary and (ii) secondary schools in the Portsmouth area in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: We do not hold complete information in the form requested. However, in 199798 the Government introduced New Deal for Schools (NDS) as a new additional programme targeted specifically at addressing the backlog of urgent repairs in school buildings that had built up after eighteen years of under-funding under the previous administration. This programme was bid based and was in addition to other capital funds made available to Portsmouth local education authority. NDS ran through four phases from 1997- 98 to 2000- 01. Table A shows the schools in the Portsmouth area which benefited from investment through the original NDS programme. From 2001- 02 most capital funding available for building improvements in schools has been allocated to local authorities and schools by needs-related formulae. It is for local authorities and schools to decide how their capital allocations are invested and prioritised between projects, in line with their local asset management planning. Also, from 200001 every school has received direct capital allocations to address their highest priorities. In addition, each year authorities have been able to bid for Basic Need funding for the provision of new pupil places. Table B shows all capital funding for school buildings allocated to Portsmouth LEA (including voluntary aided schools) since 199899. Looking to the future, I announced on 26 February proposals for a new approach to capital investment in a paper, Building schools for the future. This will be a programme of rebuilding and renewal to ensure that secondary education in every part of England has facilities of 21st century standard within 10 to 15 years from 200506, subject to future public spending decisions. We will also aim to provide substantial investment in primary school buildings.
	
		Table A: New Deal for Schools -- Allocations to schools in Portsmouth local education authority
		
			
		
		
			 NDS 1 (199798)  
			 Cliffdale Primary Replacement of swimming pool (21)210,000 
			 Mayfield Boiler replacements  
			 Isambard Brunel Junior Upgrade of toilets  
			
			 NDS 2 (199899)   
			 Copnor Infant School Installation of additional fire exit 2,000 
			 Craneswater Junior School Replacement of inadequate fire doors 4,000 
			 Saxon Shore Infant Repairs to unsafe fire doors 6,600 
			 Waterside School Sealing of door (fire precaution) 500 
			 Springfield School Installation of additional balustrade rail (safety precaution) 1,200 
			 Arundel Court Junior School Replacement of unreliable boiler 15,000 
			 Corpus Christi RC Primary Replacement of unreliable boiler 7,000 
			 College Park Infant School Replacement of unreliable boiler 4,000 
			 Milton Park Infants School Replacement of leaking flat roof 18,000 
			 Court Lane Junior Replacement of dilapidated Horsa kitchen- dining block 170,000 
			 Devonshire Infant School Renewal of leaking valley gutters 3,600 
			 Prior Secondary Replacement of rotting windows 18,000 
			 College Park Infant Replacement of dilapidated 50-year-old Horsa buildings 250,000 
			 Craneswater Junior Repairs to leaking walls 13,500 
			 Arundel Court Infants School and Nursery Unit Safety improvements to boiler 1,700 
			 Cliffdale Primary Replacement of unsafe electrical wiring 55,000 
			 Springfield School Installation of pool dosing controls 5,000 
			 Springfield School Repairs to fire alarm 15,000 
			 Craneswater Junior Replacement of inefficient boiler 40,000 
			 St George's Beneficial Replacement of unreliable boiler 45,000 
			 St George's Beneficial Replacement of deteriorating tank room floor 500 
			 Springfield School Securing of windows 10,000 
			 Priory Secondary Installation of safety barriers on footpath 10,000 
			 Paulsgrove Primary School Replacement of unreliable boiler 40,000 
			
			 NDS 3 (19992000)   
			 Court Lane Infant School Replacement of temporary accommodation 1,052,828 
			 Package (various schools) Flat roofing and insulation (21)1,456,978 
			 Mayfield School Windows and doors framing 606,604 
		
	
	(21) Denotes allocations made for multiple school or 'package' projects. We do not hold details of the individual schools included in these projects. Local education authorities hold details of the schools that benefited and of the value of each school's allocation.
	
		Table B: Portsmouth LEA capital allocations --  million
		
			  Total  
		
		
			  
			  
			 199798 3.1 
			 199899 (22)15.9 
			 19992000 3.1 
			 200001 5.2 
			 200102 3.8 
			 200203 4.3 
			 200304 5.9 
		
	
	(22) Includes 12.4 million of Private Finance Initiative credits for Miltoncross Secondary, a newly built school.

Special Advisers

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many special advisers in the Department (a) have left and (b) will be leaving to work in Scotland for the Labour Party in the forthcoming Scottish parliamentary elections.

Charles Clarke: The rules relating to Special Advisers' political activities are set out in the Model Contract for Special Advisers. Further guidance in respect of elections for the Scottish Parliament is set out at paragraph 13 of the Guidance on Conduct for Civil Servants in UK Departments, published by the Cabinet Office on 10 March.
	The reasons for a Special Adviser's resignation are a private matter between the Department and Adviser, and are therefore exempt from disclosure under paragraph 12 of the Code of Practice on Access to Information.

Standards Fund

George Stevenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much was made available to Stoke-on-Trent LEA under the Standards Fund in each year since 1999.

David Miliband: The following table shows allocations for the Standards Fund for Stoke-on-Trent local education authority in 19992000, 200001, 200102 and 200203. The figures include both Government grant and local authority contributions.
	
		19992000 Standards fund allocations for city of Stoke-on-Trent council
		
			   
		
		
			  
			 Administrative support in small schools 57,084 
			 Applications for education action zones 30,000 
			 Books for schools 1,585 
			 Class size initiative 1,080,242 
			 Computer systems for chairs of education 2,000 
			 Drug prevention 39,355 
			 Early years training and development 67,342 
			 Education and health partnerships 19,000 
			 Education maintenance allowance pilots 1,024,683 
			 Ethnic minority achievements 614,112 
			 Laptops for heads of small primary and special schools 15,466 
			 Literacy and numeracy summer schools 119,500 
			 Local education authority music services 148,000 
			 Local recruitment measures 50,000 
			 National grid for learning 1,000,000 
			 Playing for success 100,000 
			 Primary literacy and numeracy strategies 687,782 
			 Qualifications 46,275 
			 School asset management plans 33,610 
			 School improvement 1,445,382 
			 School leadership 122,631 
			 School security 115,898 
			 Social inclusion 342,484 
			 Special educational needs 272,855 
			 Support for parent governor representatives 1,000 
			 Work related learning at Key Stage 4 49,500 
			 Working environment fund 99,860 
			 Year 6 literacy and numeracy booster classes 277,910 
			 Total 7,863,556 
		
	
	
		200001 Standards fund allocations for city of Stoke-on-Trent council
		
			   
		
		
			  
			  
			 Administrative support for small schools 172,735 
			 Beacon schools 56,000 
			 Best practice research scholarships 34,335 
			 City learning centres: design and capital costs 300,000 
			 Class size initiative 1,165,476 
			 Developing and extending maintained nursery school services 69,032 
			 Devolved formula capital for schools 1,501,654 
			 Early years training and development 67,858 
			 Education and health partnerships 33,706 
			 Ethnic minority pupils and traveller achievement 614,112 
			 Excellence in cities: development 25,676 
			 Excellence in cities: excellence challenge 12,739 
			 Excellence in cities: gifted and talented children 361,000 
			 Excellence in cities: learning mentors and learning support units 676,000 
			 Key Stage 3 numeracy: secondary schools conference 14,656 
			 Literacy and numeracy: summer schools and Key Stage 3 132,000 
			 Local education authority music services 238,000 
			 National grid for learning 1,000,000 
			 New national curriculum 90,500 
			 Maintained nursery capital 92,200 
			 Performance management training 207,252 
			 Pilot education maintenance allowance 2,397,843 
			 Playing for success 125,000 
			 Primary literacy and numeracy strategies 860,176 
			 Qualifications 36,429 
			 School improvement 1,640,597 
			 School laboratories for the 21st century 155,850 
			 School leadership 85,985 
			 School security 114,362 
			 Seed capital challenge 172,790 
			 Small education action zones 20,000 
			 Small school support fund 86,834 
			 Social inclusion, drugs and youth 1,067,179 
			 Special educational needs 341,025 
			 Specialist schools 158,386 
			 Study support 180,886 
			 Summer schools for gifted and talented pupils 18,000 
			 Support for parent governor representatives 1,200 
			 Teacher incentives 13,682 
			 Teaching assistants 758,183 
			 Teenage pregnancies 93,000 
			 Working environment fund 99,860 
			 Year 6 literacy and numeracy booster classes 247,392 
			 Total 15,539,590 
		
	
	
		200102 Standards fund allocations for city of Stoke-on-Trent council
		
			   
		
		
			  
			  
			 Adult:pupil ratios in reception classes 346,792 
			 Advanced skills teachers 172,439 
			 Child protection co-ordinators 39,600 
			 Children in public care 41,661 
			 Children of asylum seekers 16,000 
			 City learning centres 2,400,000 
			 Class size initiative 1,255,664 
			 Devolved capital 2,226,443 
			 Drug prevention and advisers 65,760 
			 Early professional development 264,800 
			 Early years training and development 76,293 
			 Education health partnerships 32,798 
			 Ethnic minority achievement 614,112 
			 Excellence in cities: Beacon schools 139,000 
			 Excellence in cities: excellence challenge 211,101 
			 Excellence in cities: secondary 1,778,000 
			 Gifted and talented children 18,000 
			 Induction of newly qualified teachers 441,363 
			 Information management strategy 153,893 
			 Key Stage 3: national implementation 274,803 
			 Literacy and numeracy summer schools 100,000 
			 Local education authority music services 219,400 
			 Maintained nursery school service 140,650 
			 National curriculum 90,336 
			 National grid for learning 1,356,063 
			 NDS capital projects 8,896 
			 NDS condition funding 1,696,708 
			 Performance management 136,283 
			 Playing for success 113,506 
			 Primary literacy and numeracy strategies 927,979 
			 Qualifications 15,870 
			 School achievement awards 340,950 
			 School improvement 1,017,000 
			 School laboratories 287,409 
			 School leadership 95,563 
			 School security 112,855 
			 Seed capital challenge 191,087 
			 Sick children 11,903 
			 Small education action zones 424,951 
			 Small schools fund 336,606 
			 Social inclusion: pupil support 1,282,329 
			 Special educational needs 434,461 
			 Specialist schools 341,809 
			 Study support 284,029 
			 Supported early retirement scheme for heads 40,000 
			 Teachers' sabbaticals 36,000 
			 Teaching assistants 1,118,490 
			 Teenage pregnancies 93,000 
			 Truancy buster awards 8,000 
			 Year 6 booster classes 261,114 
			 Year 9 booster classes 76,500 
			 Total 22,168,269 
		
	
	
		200203 Standards fund allocations for city of Stoke-on-Trent council
		
			   
		
		
			  
			  
			 Adult:pupil ratios in reception classes 667,708 
			 Advanced skills teachers (ASTs) 179,028 
			 Beacon schools 194,500 
			 Capital funding for nursery education in disadvantaged areas 112,125 
			 Capital projects 712,070 
			 Child protection co-ordinators 53,000 
			 Children of asylum seekers 45,500 
			 City learning centres 740,000 
			 Class size initiative 1,526,403 
			 Condition funding 2,590,072 
			 Devolved formula capital 1,767,214 
			 Drug, alcohol and tobacco prevention and advisers 79,038 
			 Early professional development pilot programme 309,300 
			 Early years training and development 76,293 
			 Education health partnerships 53,012 
			 e-Learning credits 141,925 
			 Electronic registration systems in secondary schools 105,650 
			 Ethnic minority achievement 614,112 
			 Excellence challenge 483,631 
			 Excellence in cities (EiC) and excellence clusters 1,881,134 
			 Gifted and talented summer schools 18,000 
			 Induction of newly qualified teachers 414,521 
			 Information management strategy 38,526 
			 Key Stage 3 strategy 924,394 
			 Laptops for teachers 284,129 
			 LEA music services 264,374 
			 National grid for learning 1,685,167 
			 New school security projects 50,520 
			 Nursery schools project 67,694 
			 Performance management and threshold assessment 133,088 
			 Playing for success 113,504 
			 Primary literacy and numeracy strategies 900,152 
			 Qualifications 14,470 
			 School achievement awards 293,210 
			 School improvement 1,217,170 
			 Seed challenge capital 315,712 
			 Sick children and children in public care 59,876 
			 Small education action zones 601,007 
			 Small schools fund 296,000 
			 Social inclusion: pupil support 1,309,855 
			 Special educational needs 484,996 
			 Specialist schools 401,803 
			 Staff workspaces 66,755 
			 Study support 495,172 
			 Teacher recruitment incentives 160,191 
			 Teacher sabbaticals 72,000 
			 Teaching assistants 1,080,649 
			 Teenage pregnancy 62,128 
			 Training for educational visits coordinators 18,100 
			 Year 6 booster classes 232,210 
			 Total 24,407,088

Teachers

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many newly qualified teachers employed in (a) the primary and (b) the secondary sector have left their posts within (i) one year, (ii) two years and (iii) three years in each of the past six years, broken down in the case of secondary school teachers by the subject of their qualification.

David Miliband: The information requested has been placed in the Libraries.

Teachers

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many teachers (a) left and (b) joined the teaching profession in (i) Suffolk, (ii) Norfolk and (iii) Cambridgeshire in each year since 1997.

David Miliband: The table shows the numbers of teachers leaving 1 full-time or part time 2 service in the maintained schools sector and teachers entering or returning 3 to full-time or part-time teaching in the maintained schools sector.
	1 Leavers are those who were in full-time or part-time teaching in the maintained schools sector immediately before the period shown, who were not in service in that sector at the end of the period shown. Teachers moving LEA within the maintained sector in England are not counted as leavers. Teachers leaving are based on pension returns. Some teachers may have moved from known service to service not recorded on the teacher pension return. Some leavers will be taking career breaks and will return to service at a later date.
	2 Around 1020 per cent. of part-timers may not be included.
	3 Those in service in the maintained schools sector at the end of the period shown who were not in service in that sector in England immediately before the period shown. Includes newly qualified entrants, those who deferred entry and those returning from breaks or transferring from outside the maintained schools sector in England. Teachers moving LEA within the maintained sector in England are not counted as entrants.
	
		
			1 April 1997 to 31 March 1998   1 April 1998 to 31 March 1999   1 April 1999 to 31 March 2000(23) 
			  Leavers Entrants/ returners Leavers Entrants/ returners Leavers Entrants/ returners 
		
		
			 Suffolk 460 560 440 490 460 470 
			 Norfolk 480 570 480 450 460 560 
			 Cambridgeshire(24) 540 610 540 580 530 560 
		
	
	(23) The most recent data available at LEA level are for 1999/2000.
	(24) Cambridgeshire was affected by local government reorganisation in 1998, with Cambridgeshire and Peterborough becoming separate authorities as of 1 April 1998. For 1998/99 and 1999/2000 the table provides aggregate figures for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.

HEALTH

Public Dividend Capital

Howard Flight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the future use of public dividend capital in the NHS.

John Hutton: Public dividend capital will continue to be available in the future as a source of financing for national health service trusts and NHS foundation trusts.

Acrylamide (Cooked Food)

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received and what research he has evaluated on the impact on human health caused by the presence of acrylamide in certain cooked foods; what action he proposes to take as a result; and if he will make a statement.

Hazel Blears: The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has received several representations following reports that acrylamide had been found to occur in a wide range of home-cooked and processed foods.
	Research on the formation of acrylamide in certain cooked foods and its possible impact on human health is still at an early stage. Acrylamide has been shown to cause various types of cancer in laboratory animals. It is considered to have the potential to cause cancer in humans, but a link has not been proven.
	The FSA considers that exposure to acrylamide should be kept as low as reasonably practicable and is commissioning research and surveillance that aims to assist in minimising the amounts occurring in food. Meanwhile, FSA advice remains that, on the basis of current evidence, people should eat a balanced diet, including a variety of fruit and vegetables and that as part of a balanced diet people should moderate their consumption of fried and fatty foods.

Anti-TNFA Treatment

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS patients are receiving anti-TNFa treatment.

John Hutton: We do not hold centrally information about drugs prescribed and dispensed in hospitals, which is where the anti-TNFa drugs, Etanercept (Enbrel) and Infliximab (Remicade) are prescribed.
	The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) was asked to appraise the use of anti-TNFa drugs and issued its guidance on 22 March 2002. NICE has recommended the use of Etanercept for the treatment of juvenile idiopathic arthritis and Etanercept and Infliximab for rheumatoid arthritis.
	We have issued directions obliging health authorities and primary care trusts to provide appropriate funding for recommended treatments. This is in line with our manifesto commitment to ensure that patients receive drugs and treatments recommended by NICE on the national health service if deemed appropriate by their clinicians.

Assisted Suicide/Euthanasia

Patsy Calton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what procedures there are to monitor whether a terminally ill patient has received an assisted suicide or voluntary euthanasia from (a) a member of the health care team and (b) a family member.

David Lammy: Euthanasia, the intentional taking of life at the patient's request or for a merciful motive, is unlawful in the United Kingdom. Similarly, assisted suicide is unlawful under the Suicide Act 1961. The investigation of alleged criminal offences and the decision whether to prefer charges in a particular case are operational matters for the chief officer of the police force concerned.

Assisted Suicide/Euthanasia

Patsy Calton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what procedures are in place for NHS Direct staff dealing with patients' inquiries relating to assisted suicides or voluntary euthanasia.

David Lammy: There are no standard procedures in place for NHS Direct staff dealing with inquiries relating to assisted suicide or voluntary euthanasia, as they are both unlawful in the United Kingdom.

Assisted Suicide/Euthanasia

Patsy Calton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS-funded training programmes provide guidance on dealing with patient requests for a medically assisted suicide or voluntary euthanasia.

David Lammy: Euthanasia, the intentional taking of life at the patient's request or for a merciful motive, is unlawful in the United Kingdom. Similarly, assisted suicide is unlawful under the Suicide Act 1961. The Department of Health is not aware of any national health service funded training programmes to deal with such requests.

Budgeted Expenditure

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the budgeted expenditure per head of population on health was in each strategic health authority area for (a) 200102, (b) 200203 and (c) 200304.

John Hutton: Strategic health authorities were established on 1 October 2002. The Department does not make revenue allocations directly to strategic health authorities.

Civil Contingency Planning

Paul Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on his Department's (a) responsibilities and (b) assets with regard to civil contingency planning; what funds are committed; what action he is taking within his Department to improve such planning; and what action he is taking in collaboration with other Departments.

John Hutton: The Department of Health's responsibilities for civil contingency planning are to work with the Cabinet Office Civil Contingencies Secretariat, other Government Departments and the national health service to ensure there are adequate arrangements to protect the health of the population and continue to provide NHS care.
	The Department of Health has been working with the NHS, strengthening arrangements to ensure we are as prepared as we can be in responding to a range of possible new threats, such as the deliberate release of chemical or biological agents or incidents associated with radiological or nuclear hazards.
	The recent National Audit Office report, Facing the Challenge: NHS Emergency Planning in England, made a series of recommendations for improving emergency planning arrangements which are being taken forward. The Department of Health is working with the NHS to ensure all its organisations have reviewed and enhanced their state of readiness.
	The Department of Health has issued specific guidance to the NHS on the public health response to the deliberate release of chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) incidents, mass decontamination and mass casualties. A new protective suit has been issued for use by ambulance and accident and emergency staff working on the decontamination of patients. Significant funds have been made available to pay for these suits as well as the stockpiling of drugs and vaccines which could be used in the event of an attack on the United Kingdom. Further work is being done to look at what additional resources may be needed to maintain vigilance and improve preparedness.
	The Department of Health has made available, through the emergency planning section of its website at www.doh.gov.uk/epcu, a comprehensive package of guidance for clinicians on dealing with the consequences of deliberate release. This information is regularly updated. The website contains a link to the Public Health Laboratory Service website at www.phls.org.uk, which provides additional clinical and other information. The Department has recently sponsored clinically led sessions to widen understanding in the NHS about the treatment of burns and biological, chemical and blast injuries.

Civil Defence

Paul Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what criteria and methods of assessment are in place to evaluate the efficacy of the major incident plans put in place by individual primary care trusts; and if he will make a statement.

John Hutton: Primary care trusts (PCTs), in common with all national health service organisations, are required to demonstrate their preparedness for major incidents. PCTs, together with partner organisations, need to be able to draw upon well-defined, effective procedures and processes.
	All PCTs must have in place a major incident plan that is backed up by practical arrangements and processes including evidence of staff briefings, exercises and appropriate training.
	The criteria used to determine whether or not a PCT is prepared are largely those set out in the recent National Audit Office report, Facing the Challenge: NHS Emergency Planning in England.
	PCTs, as well as other NHS organisations, have been supported by health emergency planning advisers ('HEPAs'). HEPAs have particular expertise in emergency planning and, together with Regional Directors of Public Health, have been advising PCTs on the adequacy of their major incident plans.
	Once complete, each PCT's plan will reviewed and assessed by the appropriate strategic health authority and this will have been done by the end of this month.

Civil Defence

Jenny Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) paramedics and (b) ambulance drivers have received training to deal with the aftermath of a (i) nuclear, (ii) chemical, (iii) biological and (iv) conventional terrorist attack in the last 12 months, broken down by primary care trust.

David Lammy: In the light of the current threat, preparations have been stepped up to ensure that all National Health Service organisations are as prepared as they can be for responding to a range of possible threats, including the deliberate release of chemical or biological agents or incidents associated with radiological or nuclear hazards.
	Comprehensive reviews have been undertaken by NHS organisations of their preparedness that will be completed by the end of March. Responsibility for staff training and testing local plans rests with each NHS organisation and training support material, developed as part of the national programme, has been made available to each ambulance service.
	Information on numbers trained is not held centrally.

Civil Defence

Jenny Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what financial resources his Department has allocated to training (a) ambulance drivers and (b) paramedics to deal with the aftermath of a terrorist attack, broken down by primary care trust.

David Lammy: As part of a 5 million national programme, protective suits and decontamination units are being made available to all hospitals with accident and emergency departments and ambulance services in England to enable them to respond to chemical, biological or radiological incidents. Training material and support were also made available as part of that programme.
	Every national health service organisation has a basic responsibility to maintain and improve its preparedness to respond to major incidents of all kinds and funding is included in general allocations.

Civil Defence

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent steps he has taken to upgrade his Department's plans in the event of deliberate release of biological weapons; and if he will make a statement.

John Hutton: The Department has contingency plans for the deliberate release of biological weapons. These are kept under careful and continuous review. Recent developments include:
	In December, the Department published 'Interim Guidelines for Smallpox Response and Management'. These will be revised in the light of comments received.
	The Department has also contributed to the Home Office's 'Strategic National Guidance on the Decontamination of People Exposed to CBRN Substances or Material'February 2003.
	The Department has made available through the emergency planning section of its website www.doh.gov.uk/epcu a comprehensive package of guidance for clinicians on dealing with the consequences of deliberate release. This information is regularly updated. The Public Health Laboratory Service website www.phls.org.uk provides additional clinical and other information, which is updated regularly.
	In addition, the Department has taken action to substantially increase the stocks of smallpox vaccine. A core group of national health service staff is in the process of being vaccinated against smallpox as part of the smallpox emergency plans. The Department has also stockpiled antibiotics to treat anthrax, plague and tularaemiaa proportion of these are held in pods at strategic locations across the United Kingdom, to allow rapid distribution in an emergency.
	Within the NHS, plans for deliberate release are being continually updated. All primary care trusts and NHS trusts are reviewing their level of preparedness. Regional directors of public health are co-ordinating the responses in their regions.
	The Health Protection Agency will be taking forward chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear training and building on that already undertaken.

Delayed Discharges

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what delayed discharge targets have been set for each primary care trust in (a) Suffolk, (b) Norfolk, (c) Essex and (d) Cambridgeshire since March 2002.

David Lammy: Delayed discharge targets are set by strategic health authorities in conjunction with local authorities. Target figures for delayed discharges by primary care trust are not held centrally.

Diabetic Screening

David Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  when he expects to receive the UK screening report into type 2 high risk diabetic screening;
	(2)  when he expects to receive advice from the results of the nine inner city area pilot sites for screening for those most at risk of developing diabetes.

David Lammy: The results of the pilot sites will inform the advice on targeted screening for type 2 diabetes that the United Kingdom National Screening Committee will provide in 2005.

Doctors and Nurses

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) doctors and (b) nurses were employed in (i) each health authority and (ii) each primary care trust in the Eastern region in each year since 1997.

David Lammy: The information requested has been placed in the Library.

Dyslexia

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department is sponsoring into the management of dyslexia.

Hazel Blears: The main Government agency for research into the causes of and treatments for disease is the Medical Research Council (MRC), which receives its funding from the Department of Trade and Industry via the Office of Science and Technology. The MRC is not currently funding any research into the management of dyslexia, but is funding some basic research of relevance to dyslexia. The MRC always welcomes high quality applications for research into any aspect of human health and these are considered in open competition with other demands on funding.
	The Department funds research to support policy and the delivery of effective practice in health and social care. The Department is not currently funding any research into the management of dyslexia.

Eastern Asian Virus

Martin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his assessment is of the threat to the United Kingdom from the new virus from eastern Asia.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 25 March 2003
	Of the cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) reported so far, almost all have occurred in health care workers involved in the direct care of a reported case or in close contacts, such as family members. There is no evidence to date that the disease spreads through casual contact.
	The threat to the United Kingdom from SARS therefore, at this time, appears to be small. Nonetheless, since the cause is yet unconfirmed, the UK has taken a precautionary stance.
	The Department of Health and Public Health Laboratory Service (PHLS) issued information and advice on management and reporting of suspected cases to all general practitioners, trusts and public health professionals through the rapid public health link system on Thursday 13 March. We also issued advice to the public and travellers to South East Asia about SARS. Full information and advice has been kept up to date on the PHLS website www.phls.co.uk/topics az/SARS/menu.htm.
	The Department of Health and PHLS continue to monitor the situation.

Food Labelling

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many food samples have been tested for correct (a) labelling, (b) composition, (c) claims and (d) other presentational matters in each of the last 10 years; and what proportion of those samples were found not to comply with the statements made about them;
	(2)  how many food sample checks regarding labelling have been undertaken by (a) the Food Standards Agency and (b) local authorities in each of the last 10 years.

Hazel Blears: Details of food sampling checks by local authorities are not recorded in the form requested by the hon. Member. It is not possible to identify separately those samples taken for labelling purposes for all of the last ten years. Such information that is available for all sampling activity is shown in the tables.
	The responsibility for enforcing the food labelling regulations, made under the Food Safety Act 1990, rests with local authorities. Figures for samples taken for this purpose are shown in table 1.
	The Food Standards Agency (FSA) receives annual returns from local authorities, under the European Union's Official Controls Directive, EEC/89/397, for all food sampling activity, not just for labelling checks. Before 2001, details of the reasons why samples were found to be unsatisfactory are not readily available. However, in 2001, under the new Framework Agreement on local authority food law enforcement, implemented by the FSA with effect from 1 January that year, 17 per cent. (27,280 samples) of the 163,993 official and informal samples taken were found to be unsatisfactory. Of these unsatisfactory samples, 31 per cent. (8,418) were found to be unsatisfactory with regard to labelling and presentation, and 24 per cent. (6,551) for composition.
	Official samples are those taken in the course of an official inspection procedure under the Food Safety Act 1990, where the results can be used in legal proceedings if appropriate. Informal samples are taken during other visits, such as for monitoring or screening.
	Over the last ten years, the FSA and its predecessor bodies have published the results of a number of surveys aimed at identifying problems with the labelling of food products, and carried out under its Food Authenticity Programme. These surveys have covered 6,523 samples, as shown in table 2.
	
		Table 1: Samples for all FoodstuffsFigures for the United Kingdom, for all sampling purposes
		
			  Total number of official samples Total number of informal samples 
		
		
			 1992 65,398 176,433 
			 1993 67,959 179,001 
			 1994 65,162 181,202 
			 1995 63,726 183,327 
			 1996 62,350 168,972 
			 1997 65,130 158,687 
			 1998 59,950 138,099 
			 1999 50,379 140,719 
			 2000 41,089 137,349 
			 2001(25),(26) 86,614 77,379 
		
	
	(25) The definitions of official and informal samples changed in 2001;
	(26) The 2001 figures have been revised and corrected since the OCD return was made on 31 July 2002.
	Source:
	UK return under European Union Official Controls Directive, EEC/89/397
	
		Table 2: Food Authenticity Programme Surveys
		
			 Date Published Survey Title Number ofsamples taken Proportion of samples deemed unsatisfactory (Percentage) Tested for: Labelling(L), Composition (C)or both (L,C) 
		
		
			 October 1993 Fish and fish products 239 9 L 
			 May 1994 Authenticity of soluble coffee 344 15 C 
			 February 1995 Dried durum wheat pasta 249 Less than 1 L 
			 November 1995 Single seed vegetable oils 291 8 C 
			 April 1996 Labelling of previously frozen meat and poultry 534 8 L 
			 March 1997 Undeclared irradiation of foodstuffs 789 Less than 1 L 
			 November 1997 Added water in cured pork 614 3 L 
			 November 1997 Whisky substitution in the on-trade 161 3 L 
			 September 1998 Substitution of smoked salmon with trout 289 2 L 
			 April 1999 Orange juice authenticity 186 0 L 
			 April 1999 Substitution of species in meat products 570 15 L 
			 June 1999 Authenticity of olive oils 125 3 C 
			 March 2000 Apple juice authenticity 151 Less than 1 L 
			 April 2000 Tuna species in tuna products 607 Less than 1 L 
			 Nov 2000 Added water in whole chickens and chicken parts 261 27 L,C 
			 December 2001 Meat content, added water and hydrolysed protein in catering chicken breasts 68 46 L,C 
			 May 2002 Corn (maize) oil survey 61 0 C 
			 June 2002 Irradiated Foodsherbs and spices, dietary supplements and prawn and shrimps 543 12 L 
			 August 2002 Antimony, arsenic, bromate and nickel contents of bottled water 161 0 C 
			 December 2002 Added water in raw scallops, ice-glazed (peeled) scampi tails and scampi content in coated (breaded) scampi products 255 37 L 
			 March 2003 Meat content, added water and hydrolysed protein in catering chicken breast. 25 60 L,C 
			  Total 6,523

Food Standards Agency

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what (a) action the Food Standards Agency is taking and (b) advice the Food Standards Agency have issued to counter the threat from terrorism to food safety in the United Kingdom.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 25 March 2003
	The Food Standards Agency (FSA) will take the lead role in managing the consequences of any actual incident of food contamination. The FSA already undertakes such work in respect of the several hundred relatively minor accidental and adventitious environmental food contamination incidents that occur each year, ensuring that contaminated food does not reach the public. The FSA regularly exercises its response to major incidents.
	With the agreement of other Departments, the FSA reminded the food industry in November 2002 of the importance of maintaining vigilance against potential malicious attacks on the food supply. This was a general reminder rather than a response to any new intelligence suggesting a specific threat. This advice remains current.

Foodstuffs

John Gummer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his policy is on which foodstuffs of non-animal origin should be tested on (a) all occasions and (b) a 'spot-check' basis under the proposals in the EU document of 10 February (EC Draft 6090/03).

Hazel Blears: The Food Standards Agency has lead responsibility for this proposal on official feed and food controls. I am advised by the FSA that the negotiations on it are due to begin shortly. The FSA will press for provisions that ensure the frequency of testing of foods of non-animal origin is risk-based and proportionate. In effect, this would mean spot checks and random analytical testing for 'low risk' products but increased checks and analytical testing, up to a level of 100 per cent. (depending on the nature of the risk), for foods included in the list of 'high risk' products that is envisaged under the proposal. The commodities included in this list and the required level of testing will not be static over time but rather will vary depending on identification of new risks and the control of others. Currently, the European Commission publish decisions regarding those commodities from specified countries that should be subject to 100 per cent. documentary and analytical checks. This includes aflatoxins in various nuts and dried fruits from certain countries. It is understood that such products would be included in the 'high risk' list under the proposal and would require 100 per cent. testing.

Fund Disbursement

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which funds centrally administered by his Department are only disbursed on evidence of minimum levels of spending on information technology; and if he will make a statement.

Hazel Blears: For 200304, strategic health authorities have been tasked with planning their new information management and technology (IMandT) investment against an indicative budget, which represents a weighted share of 200 million. This new investment will be released when local communities have demonstrated that they are maintaining their historic levels of IMandT investment from baseline allocations.

GP Contracts

Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the cost of the income guarantee proposals for GPs; and if he will make a statement.

John Hutton: The General Practitioners Committee of the British Medical Association is discussing with the National Health Service Confederation and the Department of Health proposals for ensuring that practices are not financially destabilised from the introduction of the new general medical services contract. Further information will become available once proposals have been agreed.

GP Vacancies

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many general practitioner vacancies there are in the Bury St. Edmunds constituency.

David Lammy: General practitioner vacancy rates by constituency are not available. The General Practitioner Recruitment Retention and Vacancy Survey for 2002 only provides vacancy rates to Directorate of Health and Social Care level.

Hospital Costs

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the average cost per bed per week for a patient in a NHS (a) acute hospital and (b) non-acute hospital in (i) Suffolk, (ii) Cambridgeshire and (iii) Essex.

David Lammy: Figures for the average cost per bed per week for patients in national health service acute and non-acute hospitals are not held centrally.

Meat Unfit for Human Consumption

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much meat, broken down by type, has been identified as unfit for human consumption by Government Departments and Government agencies in (a) farms, (b) abattoirs and (c) retailers in each of the last 10 years; and how many (i) prosecutions and (ii) convictions have resulted.

Hazel Blears: I am advised by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) that the information requested is not collected centrally.
	However, the FSA does collect certain information from local food authorities as required under EC Directive 89/397/EEC on official controls and under the FSA's framework agreement on local authority food law enforcement. The information is published in the annual return to the European Commission under the official controls directive, copies of which are in the Library. The information collected does not provide a breakdown of information in the way requested. Details of results of samples taken, and of consequent prosecutions, are recorded for meat, game and poultry, but are not divided by type or species nor record if the meat was found unfit for human consumption.
	The Meat Hygiene Service (MHS) collects information on the quantity of meat surrendered by the operators of licensed slaughterhouses and cutting plants as unfit for human consumption following MHS inspection. The information collected records the species, number of carcasses or weight of meat rejected, and the reason for rejection. The MHS keeps these receipts for a year but the information is not collated centrally.
	Information about meat intended for human consumption that is condemned on farm is not collected. Under the Fresh Meat (Hygiene and Inspection) Regulations 1995 (as amended) the slaughter and dressing of animals intended for sale for human consumption must take place in a licensed slaughterhouse.

Medical Staff (West Suffolk Hospital)

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) doctors, (b) nurses and (c) other staff were employed at West Suffolk Hospital in each of the last five years.

David Lammy: The information is shown in the table.
	
		NHS Hospital, Public Health Medicine and Community Health Services (HCHS): Medical and dental staff and non-medical staff within west Suffolk Hospital NHS Trust as at 30 September each year -- Numbers (headcount)
		
			  1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 
		
		
			 All HCHS staff within West Suffolk Hospital NHS Trust 2,084 1,996 2,237 2,310 2,479 
			 Of which  
			 All medical and dental staff 173 183 177 206 208 
			 All non-medical staff 1,911 1,813 2,060 2,104 2,271 
			 Of which  
			 All qualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff 688 612 719 728 832 
			 All other non-medical staff 1,223 1,201 1,341 1,376 1,439 
		
	
	Source:
	Department of Health Medical and Dental Workforce Census
	Department of Health Non-Medical Workforce Census

MRI Scanner Appointments

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what the average waiting time for MRI scanner appointments was on the latest date for which figures are available, broken down by hospital;
	(2)  what plans he has to reduce waiting time for MRI scanner appointments.

Hazel Blears: holding answers 25 March 2003
	Data are not collected centrally on waiting times for a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan. The length of time that a patient may have to wait for any scan is dependent on their clinical condition. Emergency cases need to be seen immediately. Other cases will be carried out as quickly as possible, dependent on the clinical priority of all patients waiting to be scanned.
	Where an MRI scan forms part of the diagnostic process for a patient urgently referred with suspected cancer, this will be covered by the target of a maximum two months wait from urgent referral to first treatment, which will be in place for all cancers by the end of 2005.
	To increase the capacity of diagnostic services, funding has been made available for the provision of new and replacement scanners. The New Opportunities Fund has provided funding for 57 MRI scanners and the NHS Cancer Plan has provided funding for a further 50 MRI and 50 computed tomography (CT) scanners through central purchasing programmes by 2004.

National Programmes

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to his answer of 6 March 2003, Official Report, column 1214W, on the National Programmes, whether he plans to make copies of the presentation available to hon. Members in advance of its presentation to the Healthcare Computing Conference.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 17 March 2003
	The current plan is to make copies or summaries of presentations available after the conference. The conference organisers also include copies of presentations in their packs that are available after the event. A copy will be placed in the Library.

NHS Estates Contract

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps have been taken to prevent conflicts of interest concerning property valuation as part of the NHS estates contract; and if he will make a statement.

John Hutton: NHS Estates follows guidance set out in 'Estatecode', which reflects 'Government Accounting'. The guidance advises that a professional valuation must be obtained prior to a property being marketed to act as a guide price. This valuation can be undertaken either by qualified in-house staff, the District Valuer or a suitably qualified private sector valuer.
	If a sale is complex, the potential use is unclear or the sale proceeds exceed 5 million, a professional valuation is to be obtained independent of the marketing agent. An alternative would be the District Valuer or a surveyor in private practice.

NHS Management Consultants

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the (a) names and (b) fees for each contract of the management consultants currently employed by the NHS; and if he will make a statement on their role within the NHS.

John Hutton: This information is not collected centrally. The placement of contracts for management consultants is mainly undertaken at a local level by National Health Service trusts themselves.

NHS Numbers

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the authorised uses of the NHS number are; whether the use of the NHS number for non-NHS purposes is permitted; if he will bring forward legislation to limit the use of the number for non-NHS purposes; and if he will make a statement.

David Lammy: The national health service number is an administrative identifier created by the NHS and used to maintain the privacy of patient information and to provide an unambiguous means of linking health care records.
	All those delivering health and social care services either within, or in conjunction with, the NHS, are authorised to use the NHS number. Health and social care services includes preventative medicine, clinical diagnosis, clinical research, and the provision of care and treatment.
	The use of the NHS number for other purposes is not permitted.
	The NHS number is personal data for the purposes of the Data Protection Act 1998 and therefore must be used and processed in accordance with data protection principles. Officials are obtaining legal advice on whether specific regulations for the use of the NHS number need to be introduced under UK and European data protection legislation.
	The NHS number sits at the heart of the modern health care agenda as a vital tool for sharing information within the NHS and with its partners in delivering health and social care services. It is central to the vision of seamless patient care and the life-long electronic health record. Access to the NHS number tracing service is restricted to NHS health and social care staff, and is subject to strict confidentiality and security safeguards.

NHS Trusts

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average number of doctors in (a) West Suffolk Hospital trust, (b) Norfolk and Norwich Health Care NHS trust, (c) James Paget NHS trust, (d) Ipswich NHS trust and (e) Addenbrookes NHS trust, is per 100 beds.

David Lammy: The information is shown in the table.
	
		Hospital, Public Health Medicine and Community Health Services (HCHS): medical and dental staff within specified trusts, as at 30 September 2001 -- numbers (headcount)
		
			  All Staff All Beds(27) Staff per 100 beds 
		
		
			 All specified trusts of which 2,099 4,207 49.9 
			 Addenbrookes NHS Trust 855 1280 66.8 
			 Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust 307 769 39.9 
			 James Paget Healthcare NHS Trust 210 551 38.1 
			 Norfolk and Norwich Healthcare NHS Trust 519 928 55.9 
			 West Suffolk Hospitals NHS Trust 208 679 30.6 
		
	
	Notes
	(27) Average daily number of total available beds in 200102Source:Department of Health medical and dental workforce census and Department of Health form KH03

NHS Trusts

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects the NHS trusts in Worcestershire to (a) bring their annual expenditure of income into balance and (b) eradicate their cumulated deficits; and if he will make a statement.

David Lammy: There are two National Health Service trusts within WorcestershireWorcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust and Worcestershire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust.
	Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust is predicting a 7.6 million deficit for 200203 and has no other previous brought forward deficit. A financial strategy is currently being formulated which will explore a number of options to achieve financial balance.
	Worcestershire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust has no 200203 deficits and no brought forward deficit to address.

Nursing Vacancies

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many nursing vacancies there were in each (a) Suffolk, (b) Norfolk, (c) Essex and (d) Cambridgeshire NHS trust in each year since 1999.

David Lammy: The information requested has been placed in the Library.

Nursing Vacancies

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many nursing vacancies there were in each Essex NHS trust in (a) 1997 and (b) 2002.

David Lammy: The first Department of Health vacancy survey was conducted in 1999. Information requested for March 2002 is shown in the table.
	
		Department of Health Vacancies Survey, March 2002 Vacancies in NHS Trusts in the specified Health Authority areas, by Trust, qualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff 
		
			  3 month vacancy number 
		
		
			 England (excluding HA staff) 8,394 
			   
			 North Essex HA 190 
			 Tendring PCT 0 
			 Epping Forest PCT 8 
			 Harlow PCT 6 
			 Maldon and South Chelmsford PCT 14 
			 Colchester PCT 0 
			 Uttlesford PCT 11 
			 Essex Ambulance Service NHS Trust 13 
			 Essex Rivers Healthcare NHS Trust 34 
			 New Possibilities NHS Trust 0 
			 Mid Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust 19 
			 Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust 70 
			 North Essex Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust 15 
			   
			 South Essex HA 48 
			 Southend On Sea PCT 0 
			 Billericay Brentwood and Wickford PCT 0 
			 Thurrock PCT 2 
			 Basildon PCT 1 
			 Southend Health Care NHS Trust 23 
			 Basildon and Thurrock General Hospitals NHS Trust 13 
			 South Essex Mental Health and Community Care NHS Trust 9 
		
	
	Three month vacancy notes:
	1. Three month vacancy information is as at 31 March 2002.
	2. Three month vacancies are vacancies which Trusts are actively trying to fill, which had lasted for three months or more (whole-time equivalents)
	General notes:
	1. Vacancy numbers are rounded to the nearest whole number.
	2. Due to rounding, totals may not equal the sum of component parts.
	3. HA figures are based on Trusts, and do not necessarily reflect the geographical provision of health care.
	Sources:
	Department of Health Vacancies Survey, March 2002

Primary Care Trusts

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to her answer of 4 March 2003, Official Report, column 1004W, on Primary Care Trusts, what the equivalent figure is for the Kennett and North Wiltshire Primary Care Trust; and what her definition is of per weighted head of population.

Hazel Blears: Weighted head of population is defined as the primary care trust's population adjusted for age, additional need and market forces factors.
	There is no equivalent figure for the Kennett and North Wiltshire PCT as it only became operational on 1 April 2002.

Primary Care Trusts

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effect of Government targets on primary care trusts; and if he will make a statement.

John Hutton: Primary care trusts are responsible for improving the health of their local population. Planning is now undertaken at a local level with primary care trusts leading and agreeing how targets will be met within the three year planning framework. The national health service is being asked to concentrate its planning activity against the priorities in the Priorities and Planning Framework 200306. This has resulted in the majority of current planning requirements being replaced by a single three year local delivery plan. There will be routine monitoring of national standards to ensure they continue to be met. Inspection programmes for both health and social care are well established which generate independent performance ratings. These are aligned to the priorities and planning framework and based on the primary care trust's performance against a number of key targets and a wider set of balanced scorecard indicators.
	In September 2001 primary care trusts' performance was assessed for the first time against a range of suitable indicators but they were not given an overall star rating.
	In December 2002 proposed key targets and performance indicators for primary care trusts for inclusion within 200203 performance ratings were announced. This year will be the first time that full performance ratings have been given to primary care trusts. The final indicator lists for primary care trusts will be announced shortly.
	The intention is to announce the 200304 key targets and performance indicators for all NHS organisations as soon as possible so they know for the start of the performance year in question the basis of the future rating.

Primary Care Trusts

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the income per capita of population is for primary care trusts in (a) Suffolk, (b) Norfolk, (c) Essex and (d) Cambridgeshire.

David Lammy: Primary care trust revenue allocations per unweighted head of population in 200203 in Suffolk, Norfolk, Essex and Cambridgeshire are shown in the table.
	
		
			 Primary care trust 200203 allocation per unweighted head () 
		
		
			 Suffolk  
			 Central Suffolk 677 
			 Ipswich 774 
			 Suffolk Coastal 748 
			 Suffolk West 664 
			 Waveney 823 
			   
			 Norfolk  
			 Broadland 722 
			 Great Yarmouth 822 
			 North Norfolk 833 
			 Norwich 800 
			 Southern Norfolk 707 
			 West Norfolk 779 
			   
			 Essex  
			 Basildon 786 
			 Billericay, Brentwood and Wickford 685 
			 Castle Point and Rochford 708 
			 Chelmsford 742 
			 Colchester 664 
			 Epping Forest 765 
			 Harlow 877 
			 Maldon and South Chelmsford 679 
			 Southend on Sea 835 
			 Tendring 886 
			 Thurrock 764 
			 Uttlesford 661 
			 Witham, Braintree and Halstead Care Trust 683 
			   
			 Cambridgeshire  
			 Cambridge City 680 
			 East Cambridgeshire and Fenland 763 
			 Huntingdonshire 647 
			 North Peterborough 756 
			 South Cambridgeshire 615 
			 South Peterborough 690

Schizophrenia

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what distinction there is between the use of the words 'would' and 'should' within the National Institute for Clinical Excellence guidelines for schizophrenia when describing what patients can expect from services; and if he will make a statement.

John Hutton: The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidance and technology appraisals are prepared by independent expert members of its advisory committees and guideline development groups who are drawn from the national health service, patients and carers, and the academic world. Although these committees and groups seek the views of organisations representing health care professionals, patients and carers, manufacturers and government, their advice is independent of any vested interests.
	The use of the words 'would' and 'should' in NICE guidance and appraisals should be interpreted within the individual context they are used.

Scotland

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many times he has visited Scotland on official duties each year since 2000; and what meetings were held on each occasion.

David Lammy: My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health, had the opportunity to visit Scotland on three occasions during 2000. He addressed the Social Services 2000 Conference and the NHS Confederation Annual Conference and attended a Joint Ministerial Committee meeting.
	He has not had the opportunity to visit since, but should a request to do so be received in the Department, he would give it his full consideration.

Scotland

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans Ministers in the Department have to (a) visit Scotland on official business, (b) announce public appointments and (c) make ministerial announcements in April.

David Lammy: Departmental business during the campaign period preceding elections to the Scottish Parliament will be conducted in accordance with the Guidance on Conduct for Civil Servants in the United Kingdom Departments, in respect of elections to the Scottish Parliament and National Assembly for Wales, published by the Cabinet Office on 10 March.
	There re no current plans in my official diary, or those of my ministerial colleagues, to undertake a visit to Scotland during April.

Seroxat

David Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what advice he has received from the Medicines Control Agency about the possible link between the use of the drug Seroxat and suicide;
	(2)  what representations he has received on the withdrawal of the antidepressant Seroxat;
	(3)  how many coroners have written to him expressing concerns about the drug Seroxat; and how many have called for urgent inquiries.

Hazel Blears: Since it was authorised in 1990 the safety of paroxetine (Seroxat) has been closely monitored by the Medicines Control Agency (MCA) and the Government's independent expert advisory committee, Committee on Safety of Medicines (CSM). The CSM has considered the question of suicidal behaviour in association with Seroxat on a number of ccasions and carefully assessed any new data. The CSM has advised that there is insufficient evidence to confirm a causal relationship between Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) and suicidal behaviour.
	The CSM has advised that it is general clinical experience that patients taking any antidepressant may develop an increase in suicidal behaviour in the first few weeks of treatment. Product information for prescribes and patients for all SSRIs has been amended to include warnings that suicidal behaviour may increase in the early stages of treatment as with any antidepressant. In September 2000, an article was published in the drug safety bulletin, Current Problems in Pharmacovigilance, which is distributed to all doctors and pharmacists.
	An expert working group on the safety of SSRIs has been set up by the CSM to review the current available evidence relating to the safety of SSRIs, including paroxetine, particularly in relation to suicidal behaviour and withdrawal reactions. The expert working group will report its findings to CSM in due course.
	Since 1997, the MCA has received a range of representations, including parliamentary questions, letters from hon. and right hon. Members, patients and health care professionals expressing concerns about the safety of paroxetine (Seroxat), none of which have been from coroners.
	The MCA and the CSM receive reports of suspected adverse drug reactions to medicinal products via the yellow card scheme. Since marketing authorisation was granted in 1990, the MCA and CSM have received 8,702 such reports for paroxetine (Seroxat). One of these reports has been received from a coroner. In addition the MCA has written to the coroner for Brecon to obtain further details of a recently publicised case.

Smallpox

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what categories of (a) health service employees, (b) civil servants, (c) Ministers, (d) servicemen and women and (e) other public service personnel (i) have been and (ii) are intended to be vaccinated against smallpox.

John Hutton: The written ministerial statement of 2 December 2002, Official Report, column 63WS, set out our intention to vaccinate around 350 health care staff across the United Kingdom. This programme has commenced. Those vaccinated will form regional smallpox response groups around the UK. They will consist of infectious disease physicians and paediatricians, public health physicians, microbiologists/virologists, acute care and communicable disease control nurses and occupational health staff.
	Service personnel to be vaccinated against smallpox will include those nuclear, biological and chemical specialists and specialist medical personnel who would form the spearhead of our armed forces' defensive response, including vaccination teams, in the event of a confirmed, suspected or threatened release of smallpox. Vaccination of these service personnel has commenced. Where immunisation is not routine, it is not our practice to go into precise details of counter-biological warfare immunisation programmes for the armed forces as this information could be of use to an aggressor.
	Currently, there is no evidence of a specific threat of the deliberate release of smallpox as a biological agent. There is no plan to vaccinate civil servants, Ministers or other public service personnel.
	As set out in the Interim Guidelines for Smallpox Response and management in the Post Eradication Era, available on the Department's website www.doh.gov.uk/epcu/cbr/biol/smallpoxplan.htm, if the threat level increases, we shall step up vaccination of more emergency, laboratory and other essential personnel. This includes all those likely to be directly involved in the assessment, management and investigation of smallpox cases as well as emergency and other key essential staff, including police and fire service personnel. Officials are consulting with other Government Departments about which other key essential workers should be vaccinated at different threat levels.

Speech Therapists

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many speech therapists there are in (a) mainstream schools and (b) special schools in (i) Suffolk, (ii) Essex, (iii) Norfolk and (iv) Cambridgeshire.

David Lammy: The number of speech therapists in mainstream schools and special schools in Suffolk, Essex, Norfolk and Cambridgeshire is not collected centrally.
	Under the special educational needs category of the standards fund, operated by the Department for Education and Skills, grant support is currently available to local education authorities to enhance therapy services in conjunction with the National Health Service and the voluntary sector.

Usual Residency

David Drew: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the definition of usual residency for those who have been placed by one social services department in the area of another department; and what funding implications there are if the former decides (a) to reduce and (b) to remove funding.

Jacqui Smith: There is no definition of ordinarily resident in the National Assistance Act 1948 and it should be given its ordinary and natural meaning subject to any interpretation by the courts. The concept of ordinary residence involves questions of fact and degree. In determining ordinary residence, factors such as time, intention and continuityeach of which may be given different weight according to the contexthave to be taken into account. Local Authority Circular LAC(93)7 on Ordinary Residence gives full details.
	Generally, if a council places an individual in a care home in the area of another council under section 21 of the National Assistance Act 1948, the first council has continuing responsibility to fund and care manage the individual's stay in residential care. This is because the individual is regarded as remaining ordinarily resident in the placing authority's area, by virtue of section 24(5) of the 1948 Act.
	Residents who are placed in care homes by councils are financially supported when their income and assets are not sufficient to cover the cost of care home fees. The amounts that supported residents should contribute to these fees are governed by the National Assistance (Assessment of Resources) Regulations 1992. Once the resident's contribution has been determined, the council should make its contribution sufficient to meet the costs of care as set out in the resident's care plan and contract between the council and care home. If the care home's fees are higher than the council would normally expect to pay, third parties such as relatives may make up the difference.
	Whether a supported resident is placed by a council in its own area, or the area of another council, the placing council would be acting outside its statutory duties if it attempted to reduce its contribution to care costs in situations where supported residents' income and assets and assessed needs remain unchanged. When the resident's financial situation or needs change, a council may legitimately reduce or remove its funding. For example, a supported resident who acquires extra income and assets during his stay in residential care may lose entitlement to council funding. A council may reduce its funding when, following a re-assessment of needs, it agrees with a resident that some aspect of care within the care home may be reduced. In such circumstances, the resident should continue to pay their assessed contribution and the council makes up the difference with regard to the lower care home fee.

Waiting Times

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of patients waited over four hours in accident and emergency departments in each Suffolk hospital in each of the last four years.

David Lammy: Information on the total time patients spend in accident and emergency from arrival to admission, transfer or discharge has been collected by the Department of Health since July2002. This information is now published quarterly. Figures for West Suffolk and Ipswich Hospitals are shown in the tables.
	
		Total time spent in major Accident and Emergency Departments, NHS Trusts in England, 200203 October to December (Q3)
		
			 Year Quarter STHA OrgID Name Total attendances at major A and E Percentage of patients who spent less than4 hrs in A and E 
		
		
			  
			  
			 200203 3   England 2,882,500 78 
			 200203 3 Q01 RGQ Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust 13,357 80 
			 200203 3 Q01 RGR West Suffolk Hospitals NHS Trust 8,945 81 
		
	
	Source:Department of Health dataset QMAEpublished 12 March 2003
	
		Total time spent in major Accident and Emergency departments, NHS Trusts in England, 200203 July to September (02)
		
			 Year Quarter Dataset STHA OrgID Name Total attendances at major Accident and Emergency Percentage of patients who spent less than 4 hrs in Accident and Emergency 
		
		
			  
			  
			 200203 2 QMAE   England 3,095,650 77 
			 200203 2 QMAE Q01 RGQ Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust 14,083 81 
			 200203 2 QMAE Q01 RGR West Suffolk Hospitals NHS Trust 10,246 83 
		
	
	Source:Department of Health dataset QMAE

Waiting Times

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting time for an out-patient appointment is in (a) Suffolk West, (b) Suffolk Coastal, (c) Waveney, (d) Ipswich and (e) Central Suffolk primary care trusts.

David Lammy: Average waiting times for out-patient attendance by primary care trust are not held centrally.

Star Rating System

Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy that the Commission for Healthcare Audit and Inspection should be able to alter the targets on which the star rating system is based.

John Hutton: As the independent regulator of national health service performance, the Commission for Health Improvement (CHI) are responsible for publication of NHS performance ratings. Ministers will continue to select key targets and the priority areas to be covered. CHI are responsible for leading the work to develop new indicators for use in the star rating system.
	The Government's intention is that the new Commission for Healthcare Audit and Inspection which will be established next year subject to parliamentary approval, will continue in this role.